Never More Than Eternal Rivals
by KakashiKrazed
Summary: Taking place in the alternate timline of The Long Road Home. Witness the events which forged Kakashi and Gai's rivalry-from their first meeting,to Wolf's attack of Gai on the Hokage Mountain, and beyond.A gift-fic for my ever-vigilant friend, Esashar.
1. Before They Were Rivals

Chapter 1

Before They Were Rivals

Kakashi Hatake stood patiently outside the thick wooden door that hid the Hokage's office from view. The ANBU guards posted on either side of the door had given him the option of sitting in one of the chairs lining the hallway, but he'd turned their offer down. After all, one look at the sturdy chairs made it clear to Kakashi that his feet wouldn't come close to reaching the floor, and the last thing the four year old wanted to do – especially in front of the ANBU giants – was remind anyone that he was so young. So he stood in the hallway, positioned just opposite the sturdy door which kept him from hearing the conversation going on between his father, the Third Hokage, the Village Elders, and the Academy Instructors.

When Kakashi's vigil entered its second hour, he shifted his weight from foot to foot in an attempt to keep his circulation going – just like his father taught him – while eying the comfortable-looking chair to the left. Kakashi furrowed his brow and tried to block his brain's feeble attempts to convince him that it was okay to take a seat. He tried to counter its logic by determining that sitting on such a thin layer of padding for any longer than ten minutes was bound to feel like torture...but this theory was thrown out the window when he looked away from the tempting chair and spied a dark-haired boy – not much older than himself – curled up in another one of those very chairs. The boy was snoring away quite contentedly and looking very comfortable.

Kakashi sighed and tugged at the dark mask that covered the lower half of his face. He'd only been wearing it for about six months now – ever since his father let him start training outside of their own family compound – and he was still getting used to how it bunched up under his ears. His father said he'd get used to it eventually, and considering Kakashi couldn't remember him ever _not_ wearing his mask...he figured he must know what he was talking about. Still though, when Kakashi was sweating, or otherwise uncomfortable, the mask just added to his misery. Of course, there was no way Kakashi would ever complain to his father about it...no way at all...not after _begging_ the man to start training him in the first place...and Kakashi figured if the mask came off, his training with his father would end.

Nope – Kakashi would just have to deal with it. After all...it had to be better than other alternatives, right? He glanced back toward the sleeping boy and saw he was now sprawled across not one, but _two_ of the seats – half on and half off the chairs. Kakashi's eyes went wide when he caught the sight of the horribly bright, seemingly skintight green outfit the kid was wearing. It reminded Kakashi of the pajamas his mother used to try to make him wear when he was two...the ones that had feet sown into them and a trap door at his backside. Kakashi suppressed a shiver at the memory.

Yup – things could definitely be much worse than wearing a mask...he could be forced to wear his pajamas in public like this poor kid! Kakashi frowned. That kid sure did look comfortable though...but surely that had more to do with being on the chair than wearing that horrible outfit. He edged over toward the empty chair, thinking that maybe he could prove his theory by sitting down himself, when the door to the Hokage's office was pushed open. All thoughts of the chair, the pajama-wearing boy, or Kakashi's own discomfort, disappeared as one of the two ANBU guards motioned for him to walk through the open doorway.

Kakashi felt his heart speed up at the idea of getting to see the inside of the Hokage's office, and he was actually glad he was wearing his mask, because he was pretty sure his mouth was stretched in a stupid grin while he tried not to stumble into the room. Just as the doors were closed behind him, Kakashi could have sworn he heard someone wishing him 'gobs of luck.'

-- --

* * *

Sakumo Hatake watched his diminutive son step into the room and found he was holding his breath, hoping the boy didn't stumble as he crossed to stand at his side. He shouldn't have worried. Kakashi held his head up and his back straight as he walked calmly across the wooden floor. The only thing that gave away the boy's curiosity was the way his eyes would shift to take in every single adult in the room. Sakumo smiled behind his mask when some of these stuffy old men and women actually seemed a bit intimidated by his four year old son.

Kakashi walked directly to stand in front of the Hokage and – just as they had practiced earlier in the day – bowed to show his respect to the Third. A low chuckle came from the Hokage's throat, and Sakumo saw the telltale tensing of Kakashi's shoulders that could lead to an outburst that might undo all the hard work he'd been through over the past two hours. But, to Sakumo's surprise and relief, Kakashi simply straightened himself up and cocked his head to the side, silently letting it be known he wasn't sure what was funny.

The Third coughed a bit and then smiled. "I see what you meant when you said little Kakashi wasn't exactly an average four year old. If I didn't see you standing there next to him, Sakumo, I'd have sworn someone had used a shrinking jutsu on you."

Sakumo chuckled, and placed the palm of his hand on the top of Kakashi's head – a movement that he barely thought about, and one that Kakashi did his best to squirm out from under without _looking_ like he was squirming out from under it. "Yes, well he does seem to have inherited his looks from my side of the family."

"But is that all he has to offer Konoha, Hatake? A pretty face?" Danzou's gruff voice grated against Sakumo's nerves.

He turned toward where Danzou and the other Elders were standing with their eyes glaring toward his boy. Sakumo pushed down the urge to slaughter the lot of them for that man's narrowly veiled insult, and instead crinkled his eyes into a forced smile.

"I believe that was why we were meeting today, Danzou. I'm sorry if the concept was not explained slowly enough for you to grasp."

Danzou's eyes flashed angrily toward him, and his hand gripped his walking stick until the knuckles showed bone-white. "How _dare_ you?!?"

Sakumo was almost disappointed when the Hokage stepped between them. "Perhaps it's time to let the boy know why we've brought him in here, don't you think, Sakumo?"

He took that as both the diplomatic escape from the situation it was, and the reminder that his _very_ impressionable four year old genius was still in the room. Sakumo cleared his throat and bowed his head to the man's wisdom. "As you wish, Hokage."

The Third turned his attention back to Kakashi and knelt on the floor until he was eye to eye with him. "Well then, Kakashi...do you know why we're here today?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes and Sakumo knew the kid was wondering just why such a bunch of idiots had anything to do with deciding his fate. Fortunately, his boy didn't choose to share that answer with the Hokage.

"To let me know if I get to go to the Academy, Lord Hokage."

Sakumo felt a swell of pride rush over him at Kakashi's well thought out response. He relaxed a bit more, and settled in to watch the final interview continue. The Third smiled at his boy before continuing.

"But wouldn't you rather play ninja with children your own age, Kakashi?"

Kakashi's dark gray eyes narrowed. "Being a ninja is not a game, Lord Hokage. Shouldn't you already know that?"

Sakumo held back a chuckle when he saw the look of surprise on the Third's face. He imagined his own face held that exact same look when Kakashi used those words on _him_ less than seven months ago. Unlike his own rather startled reaction, the Hokage calmly continued questioning the boy.

"And if we let you into the Academy, Kakashi, what would you do?"

Sakumo watched his boy roll his eyes slightly before he responded. "I'd learn what I don't already know, get better at what I _do_ already know, and do my best to serve the Village."

One of the Academy Instructors stepped forward – a short, squat man with no hair to speak of. "Lord Hokage...that answer in itself is proof that this kid has been coached on how to respond to us. There's no way a _four year old_ would ever use words like that."

Sakumo smirked behind his mask, even as he watched his son's ears turn bright red from anger. Kakashi spun to face the moronic Instructor. "Just because _you_ couldn't speak well at my age doesn't mean _I_ can't. My father hasn't told me how to speak since I was _two."_

The Instructor's mouth fell open and his eyes went wide. Another one of the Academy Instructor's stepped forward – this one tall and lanky, with dark hair cut in an oh-so-fashionable bowl cut. If Sakumo remembered correctly, this was one of the higher classes' instructors.

"Lord Hokage, there is still the matter of whether or not the boy would be able to keep up with the other students at the Academy. After all, this boy will be a year or two younger than the other entry-level students. We wouldn't want him to feel out of place, now would we?"

Sakumo had to suppress the laugh that threatened to escape his lips at the look of utter horror on his son's face. He figured he'd better step in before things got ugly. "I'm sure you remember that we discussed having Kakashi tested to determine what his placement would be. I doubt he'd be placed with the entry-level students, Sensei."

The Instructor turned to face Sakumo. "I know you're proud of your son, Sakumo, but you shouldn't let your pride of the boy's accomplishments blind you to the fact he is likely no better than any of the other pre-genin in the Academy."

The Hokage walked to his chair and motioned for Kakashi to follow him before Sakumo had the chance to respond. "I think perhaps the best way to clear this up is to follow through with the test. Once little Kakashi is finished, and the test is reviewed, then we can determine his placement."

The Instructors all bowed their heads in agreement, and Sakumo was about to breathe a sigh of relief, when Danzou entered the conversation again. "I have a few additional questions to add to the test to make certain the boy wasn't _coached_ on how to answer the standard placement test."

Sakumo narrowed his eyes and glared hard at the man who was limping toward where Kakashi was settling onto the Hokage's chair to start the test. "What are you implying, Danzou?"

The Elder chuckled darkly, even as he placed a stack of papers on the desk. "Are you worried your precious boy won't do well, Sakumo?"

He saw Kakashi's dark eyes look up at him and Sakumo knew he needed to phrase his response carefully. "I know Kakashi will do just fine on your _test_, Danzou. In fact, I should thank you...because now there should be no question of what his placement should be in the Academy."

The Hokage smiled. "That's a good point Sakumo. Now, please wait in the Mission Room until Kakashi is finished. That way none of these good men and women will think you helped the boy out during the test in any way."

Sakumo smiled back at the Third's strategic move. Although he would have preferred to be there for Kakashi, he knew his presence would only fuel Danzou's campaign to prove the boy would cheat. So Sakumo bowed his head at the Hokage's wisdom once more, and turned to leave. Just as he was about to step through the door on the other side of the room that led to the Mission Room, he turned back to see Kakashi staring after him expectantly. He gave Kakashi a two-fingered wave and a smile, then stepped through the door to wait.

-- --

* * *

Gai woke up to the sound of yelling coming from inside the room his Dad had gone into a long time ago. He wasn't sure what the heck was going on, but he was sure glad the noise wasn't directed at him! Gai stretched his arms above his head and yawned. He looked around the hallway trying to blink away the last of his sleepiness when the door to the room opened and the noise got so loud Gai had to press his hands to his ears.

He watched a bunch of old people rush out into the hall. None of them looked too happy, and Gai frowned, wondering what could have possibly happened on such a fine day to make so many people so angry. He wasn't in the habit of listening to other people's conversations, but every one of them was talking _so_ loud that he couldn't help it...even with his hands over his ears! Especially that mean looking guy with the stick and the bandages...his voice was so loud it almost made Gai want to cry.

"I still say if the boy scored so high he should be entered into ROOT immediately."

Gai saw a bunch of old folk nodding their heads in agreement and then his eyes went wide when he saw his dad walk out and disagree with the man. "I'm sorry you think that – but the Hokage has already signed the boy's placement papers into the Academy for Monday morning. There's really nothing more to do about it."

The scary man turned around so fast that Gai couldn't help but gasp. His dad almost walked into the man but stopped just in time. The old guy leaned in close to his dad before talking again. "We'll see about that, Sensei. This isn't over yet!"

With that, the old folks stormed out of the hallway, Gai's dad sighed, and then he turned to where Gai was watching everything with wide eyes. His dad smiled at him, and Gai took that as the sign that it was okay for him to speak now.

"Geez Dad, who the heck was that old guy? And why was he yelling at you? And who were you guys talking about? Was it me? Was it me?? Can I go to Academy now?? Huh?? Can I?"

His dad sat in the chair next to him and motioned for Gai to sit on his lap. Gai smiled wider and jumped over to land right where his dad wanted him. "Now settle down Gai. This didn't have anything to do with you. You haven't taken the entrance test yet, have you?"

That wiped the smile off Gai's face and he thrust his lower lip out in a pout. "No sir...I haven't."

His dad chuckled at him and rubbed soothing circles on his back. "Don't worry son...I'm sure your youthful eagerness is sure to shine once you take the exam. And who knows – perhaps you'll do as well as little Kakashi Hatake did."

Gai scrunched his face up in confusion and tipped his head back until he could see his dad's face. "Who's Kashi Hatucki?"

A quiet voice from the direction of the room his dad just came from made Gai jump a little. "It's _Ka_kashi Ha_take_...and that would be me."

Gai turned to stare at where the voice came from and came face to face with a kid who was actually shorter than _he_ was. His hair was a silvery white mess – sticking out in all sorts of directions – and the bottom half of his face was covered up by a mask. Gai jumped off his dad's knees and reached out to shake the kid's hand.

"Hi there! I'm Gai!" The kid just stared at him. Gai frowned and put his hands on his hips. "Hey – hasn't anyone every taught you about shaking hands?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Hasn't anyone ever taught you about _washing_ your hands?"

Gai looked down and noticed his hands had bits and pieces of the rice ball he'd eaten for his snack while he had waited for his dad. He frowned and busily wiped them off on his jumpsuit before pushing the now cleaned hand back toward Kakashi. "Sorry about that."

Kakashi just stared at Gai's hand – never moving to take it – even after a really tall man stepped up and placed his hand on top of the kid's silver hair. "Kakashi, who's your new friend? Aren't you going to introduce me?"

Gai smiled brightly and shifted his attention to the grownup. "Hey – you look just like _him_ – only bigger!"

The man chuckled and reached down to shake Gai's still outstretched hand. "That's because I'm his father, Sakumo Hatake. And who are you?"

Gai pulled himself up to his tallest and grinned back. "I'm Gai Maito! Glad to meet you! So is it really true that Kashi here is going to go to the Academy? That's so cool!"

"Yes, Gai – that's right. In fact your father will be teaching him, isn't that right, Gaman?"

Gai craned his neck to look back at his dad while he let go of Kakashi's dad's hand. "Really Dad? But I thought you didn't teach the new kids? Does that mean you'll teach me when I get to go to the Academy after all?"

His dad stood up and joined them, laughing a bit. "Ah, I'm sorry about this, Sakumo. Gai just seems to have a lot of energy these days. I don't know how he does it."

Kakashi's dad shrugged. "Have you tried finding him something to spend that energy on? He's tall enough already he could probably learn some Taijutsu moves. That should help tire him out a bit."

"I'll have to look into that. After all, his mother and I have tried just about everything else at this point."

Gai frowned. Wasn't his dad going to answer his question? He tugged at his dad's slacks. "Dad! So are you teaching new kids now? Huh?"

His dad knelt down in front of him and placed a hand on each of his shoulders. "Not exactly, Gai. Kakashi will be going straight into the advanced classes – so that's why I get to teach him."

Gai frowned and thought about what his dad had said.. Then he took a closer look at the kid and scratched his head. "So Kashi's smarter than me?"

His dad smiled at him. "I wouldn't necessarily say that, Gai."

He saw Kakashi roll his eyes. "I would."

Kakashi's father slapped the back of the kid's head. "That's not nice, Kakashi. Apologize..._now!_"

Gai watched him rub the spot his dad just hit and then glare toward him. "Fine. I'm sorry you're not as smart as me."

"_Kakashi Hatake!_"

The silver-haired boy crossed his arms in front of him. "Fine...sorry."

Gai smiled. "That's okay Kashi. I'll just have to work really, really hard until I'm better than you!"

Kakashi's father chuckled at that. "Look out, Kakashi...looks like you've got yourself your first rival."

Gai's smile widened and he placed his hands on his hips once more. "That's right...from now on, Kashi Hatucki, I'm gonna be your Eternal Rival!"

Kakashi sighed and started walking towards the exit. "Good luck with that."

Gai grinned and pointed his thumb up into the air, even as Kakashi's father moved to catch up with his boy. "Thank you for wishing me luck, Kashi Hatucki! I can't wait until we meet again!"


	2. What A Difference A Year Makes

Chapter 2

What A Difference a Year Makes

Gai chewed on the end of his pencil while he looked at the test question in front of him. How in the world was he supposed to know _all_ of the different nature chakra and their strengths? Did they forget that he'd only just turned six two weeks ago? Gai scratched the side of his head. _Sheesh –_ this was a lot harder than he had thought it would be. He wasn't even sure _how_ to answer this question, and he only had three more hours to get through the whole stack of papers!

Gai glanced around the room and saw that more than one of the other kids his age were having as much trouble as he was. Heck, he saw some of the older kids frowning at their papers too. He stared back down at what the older guys lining the wall told him was the Academy Entrance Exam and wondered if maybe they were playing a joke on him. This had to be for the advanced classes...yeah...that had to be it. He frowned. The only problem with that idea was the fact the large characters across the top of the paper clearly showed this was actually the entry-level exam.

Guy sighed and chewed the pencil a bit more. Well, there was no way he was going to get this first question right – no matter how long he stared at it. He flipped the page over and looked at the next question, hoping it was easier. Hmmm...let's see...another chakra question. He flipped to the next one.

'_How do you calculate the location of enemy A if you see kunai B and shuriken C coming from different angles?'_

Gai rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hands and took another look at the question. Nope – it still didn't make sense. He flipped another page expecting more confusing words and was pleasantly surprised to see one he _could_ actually answer. He smiled brightly and read the question over once more.

_'Which basic taijutsu move is the best defense against an enemy using a staff weapon?'_

Aha! At last there was a question he could use to show them all his most youthful skill and knowledge! Gai bent over the paper and began the daunting task of describing every taijutsu move he knew could be used in such a situation. Thank goodness his dad had been teaching him all about taijutsu for the past year! He leaned back and read what he wrote. Gai wasn't sure he was able to explain it all out in a way the people grading the test would understand. Another smile and Gai knew just how to make sure they got what he was talking about. He leaned over the paper and proceeded to fill two pages with detailed stick figure drawings which showed everything he wanted them to know.

Once done with that question, Gai scanned through the rest of the test, picking out and answering every last one of the taijutsu questions with an equal amount of fervor. Then, with his confidence restored, he went back and tried to answer some of the other ones as well. When the time limit was over, Gai was happy to see he had actually put down answers on just under a third of the questions. He glanced around the room again and figured a lot of the others didn't look like they'd answered any more than he had...so he hoped that meant they weren't expected to finish _all_ the questions...otherwise the class at the Academy wouldn't be all that big.

The tests were gathered up by the guys who had lined the walls and were handed over to someone Gai had seen his dad talk with from time to time. He heard that guy talking to another one holding a stack of papers. "Well, there's no chance of another Hatake in this bunch, that's for sure."

That caught Gai's attention. Did they mean Kashi? Curiosity got the better of him and Gai shot his hand up – waving it around until he got the eye of the man who had spoken. "Excuse me Mister Teacher, sir...but did you mean Kashi Hatucki?"

The man walked over and smirked at him. "That's right, Gai. Kakashi Hatake."

Gai beamed up at the man. "I know he did very well when he took the exam last year...my dad said so! I will do at least as well!"

The man smiled down at him. "Or what?"

Gai frowned and scratched at the back of his head. "Huh?"

The man knelt down to meet his eyes. "What if you didn't do as well as Hatake, hmm? Will you quit?"

Gai thought hard about that. What _would_ he do if he didn't do as good as Kashi? He bit at his lower lip while he tried to figure it out. There was no way he'd quit...no way at all! Then a grin stretched across his face and he stood on the seat of his chair with his hands perched on his hips.

"I know! If I didn't do as well as Kashi Hatucki on the exam I will run around the village once for every question that he got right that I did not!"

The older man shook his head and chuckled at him. "Are you sure you want to do that, kid?"

Gai grinned wider and gave the man a thumbs up. "You betcha!"

The man rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. "Alright, Gai...but you should at least know that Hatake got every single question on the Entrance Exam correct."

Gai blinked at the man. "He got _all_ of them right?"

"Yup – like I said, no chance of another Hatake this time around. None of you even answered all the questions."

Gai's face scrunched up in absolute concern. "So...umm...how many did _I_ get right?"

The older man placed a hand on Gai's shoulder. "I won't know until I correct the tests, Gai. You can still back out of it if you want. I won't tell anyone."

Gai shook his head fiercely. "No! I gave my word! And my dad always says if you go back on your word than you can _never_ really be a shinobi!"

The man smiled and stood up. "Well then, Gai, come back tomorrow with your dad and I'll let you know how many laps you'll need to run, okay?"

Gai nodded once. "Okay!"

-- --

* * *

Kakashi pulled his chakra in until there was barely a trace...just like his father had taught him...and pressed his body against the rough bark of the tree trunk, hoping the thick shadows in this part of the forest would be enough to hide his silver hair from the enemy's eyes. The cold driving rain soaked him to the skin, but he wasn't going to complain about it as it also washed the scent of his blood away as well.

Kakashi still couldn't quite believe the mission was going so horribly wrong. After all, it was only supposed to be a basic C-ranked delivery of a package to Tea Country – his first genin mission out of the village. But no one bothered to mention Tea Country was overrun by Iwa shinobi one week back...or that the point of delivery was now the headquarters of the Iwa forces...or that the jonin-sensei they'd placed in charge of the mission had no battle command experience at all beyond his exams...or that the other two members of his mission team wouldn't be able to accept the concept that a five-year-old would actually be just as useful in a battle as an 'experienced' jonin.

Kakashi held back the urge to sigh and looked toward where he knew the other two genin were hiding. Both were four to five years older than him, but neither could hide their chakra-signatures all that well, and Kakashi knew that it was only a matter of time before the enemy used those signatures to track them all down. He frowned – his genius mind already walking through every possible outcome, and recognizing there was no way any of them were going to get out of this alive unless they could narrow the odds in their favor. Kakashi furrowed his brow...what would his father do? He almost chuckled at how stupid that question was. After all, his father never would have gotten into this mess to start with. And even if he was in this mess, every Iwa-nin would have died on the end of his father's white-chakra blade when White Fang went into battle-mode. Okay – so maybe the question should be what would his father have done at _his_ age?

Kakashi scanned the area and smiled to himself. His father would have used his surroundings to his advantage, of course. Kakashi took a moment to check his weapons and supplies, and then he moved into action. Using his teammates' location as the end-point in his plan, he swiftly began laying traps and detonation tags in a pattern that would hopefully slow down, if not injure, the four chunin and one jonin Iwa-nin that were sure to be coming after them once they finished with Mueki-sensei...and it was clear to Kakashi that the Konoha jonin would be no match for the Iwa-nin. Kakashi had wanted to stay behind to help Sensei, but the man had given him a direct order to watch over and protect the other two genin. So, in the end, Kakashi had no other choice.

Once his traps were laid, Kakashi moved back into his original hiding place and waited...knowing there was a very good chance his first field mission may very well prove to be his last mission altogether. He frowned. His father had taught him that thinking of failure was like admitting defeat before your first blow. He couldn't let his mind wander any farther than what he had control over...his own breathing, the hiding of his chakra-signature, and the sureness that each trap laid was done exactly as he'd been taught. Still, when that first trap sprang, Kakashi couldn't help but clench his kunai a bit tighter in expectation of the battle to come. The sudden scream made it clear that at least one of the enemy was now severely injured. Kakashi smiled and narrowed his eyes to peer through the driving rain. With luck he might just see his sixth birthday after all.

-- --

* * *

Gai was on his tenth lap around Konoha when he spied the wild silver hair of Kashi's dad as the man was walking back in through the main gate. Gai was about to take a break and wave in greeting when two other shinobi ran up to talk with the man. Gai didn't mean to listen in to their conversation, but they _were_ talking really, really loud, so he couldn't help it.

Kashi's dad grabbed one of the other men by his vest and lifted him up until his feet were dangling off the ground. "What do you mean Kakashi's hurt? Who did it!?! Where is he?!? _Where's my boy!?!_"

Gai's eyes went wide at how mad the man sounded, and he wondered if his own dad would be that mad if _he_ was hurt. The man who wasn't being dangled tried to explain.

"Sakumo, please put Yobun down. Kakashi was on a mission that went badly. His jonin-sensei was killed and your boy managed to save his teammates. But he's been pretty beat up. He's at the hospital being tended to by Lady Tsunade."

Gai's mouth opened wide. Whoa...Kashi was on a mission? A real live mission? Wow! But he must have gotten really hurt if they took him to the hospital. After all, his dad said only really sick or really hurt people ever had to go there. He watched Kashi's dad drop the man he'd been holding in the air and then he disappeared in a flurry of leaves. That was just too cool! Gai wondered what he'd need to do to learn how to disappear like that....Oooooo...and wouldn't it be super cool if he could figure out a way to make his entrances just as amazing?

Gai returned to his laps while his mind continued to spin around the glorious plans he had for his future. He was so wrapped up in those thoughts that he didn't even realize it when he'd finally finished his final lap...well after the sun set.

-- --

* * *

Sakumo's heart nearly stopped when he'd been told Kakashi was hospitalized during his very first mission out of the village. Had he been wrong? Was his boy not as ready for the life of the shinobi as Sakumo had thought he was? Dammit...when would that hag come out of the operating room with an update on his boy?

Sakumo ran his hands through his hair trying desperately to push away all the nightmare-thoughts that were trying to push their way into his mind. Was Kakashi going to make it? Would Sakumo be placing his boy's body next to that of his mother's so soon? Sakumo growled and was about to slam his fist into the corridor wall when a firm hand gripped his shoulder.

"Easy there, Fang. I doubt Tsunade would be too keen on you pounding a hole into the hospital's wall."

Sakumo turned his frustration loose on the man who had the gall to interrupt his outburst. "What the hell do I care about the damn wall? I need to know how the hell Kakashi is! If you can't tell me that, Jiraiya, then leave me alone."

The white-haired man ignored Sakumo and moved closer, placing his other hand in place on Sakumo's other shoulder. "Hold on there, kid. Are you saying Kakashi's in the hospital?"

Sakumo stared back at his long time friend and felt the last of his anger fade at the confused look spread across the man's face. "Why else would I be here, Jiraiya?"

The Toad Sage scratched at the back of his head and frowned. "What happened? Did the brat break his arm trying to get a cat out of a tree?"

Sakumo growled. "Don't be an ass, Jiraiya. Kakashi was on a field mission that went bad."

"What!?! But...but I thought he's just a genin?"

Sakumo rolled his eyes. "Listen Jiraiya, all I know is that his team went on a delivery mission to the Land of Tea and it ended very badly."

Sakumo's stomach clenched when he saw Jiraiya's face pale at mention of the destination of the mission. "Sakumo...did you say Tea?"

"What do you know about this, Old Man?" Sakumo's voice made it quite clear he wanted some answers...now!

Jiraiya cleared his throat nervously. "My contacts just got word to me that Tea is in Iwa's hands now."

Sakumo narrowed his gaze. "Are you saying my boy's first field mission was straight into the heart of enemy territory?"

Before Jiraiya had a chance to say anything more, the light over the operating room door went off and Tsunade walked out into the hallway, wiping the blood off her hands as she moved. The blond-haired woman looked exhausted, but a faint smile tugged at the edges of her lips. Sakumo's conversation with Jiraiya was instantly forgotten as he rushed toward her, his focus locking on the large amount of blood smearing her apron.

"How is he? Did he...did he survive?"

Tsunade leaned heavily against the wall. "Why don't you go ask him yourself? He's just waking up now."

Sakumo let go of the breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding and pushed by her in a rush to see his son with his own eyes. The bright lights of the operating room cast his boy in a harsh light that made his pale skin seemed ten times lighter, and made the streaks of blood and bruised skin stand out all the more. Sakumo tried to calm his heart down as he moved to the side of the metal table Kakashi's small body was laid out on. By the time he'd reached the table, Kakashi was already trying to push himself up into a sitting position. Sakumo gently placed his hands on his son's shoulders and guided the boy back to a lying position.

"Easy there, sport. Keep it up and you'll undo everything Tsunade just did, do you want that?"

Kakashi let out a shuddering breath and turned his eyes away. "No sir."

Sakumo's heart nearly broke at the pained sound of his only son's voice. It was clear that he'd been through far more than what a genin team should have been exposed to, and Sakumo only hoped it hadn't destroyed the boy's mind so soon. He moved one hand up to stroke Kakashi's hair in a way he used to do after his mother had passed away. After a moment where he felt the boy tense under his touch, Kakashi let out a soft sigh and leaned into Sakumo's hand.

He wanted nothing more than to pull his son into his embrace and protect him from ever being hurt in such a way again, but he knew his boy well enough to know that he'd never accept such a gesture. Instead, he waited a moment more before using his free hand to guide Kakashi's unmasked face back toward him.

"Do you want to talk about it, Kashi?"

He saw a flurry of emotions play across the boy's face and knew the two were in for a bumpy ride over the course of the next few days. A few more silent moments went by before Kakashi finally spoke...his words were barely above a whisper.

"They killed Sensei."

Sakumo frowned behind his mask but kept his eyes steady. "I know. But you followed your orders, right Kakashi?"

"Yes sir. I did my best to keep the others safe...but they were so strong...I...I couldn't keep them all away...they were just so strong."

Sakumo stroked his son's hair some more, trying to think of some way to ease Kakashi's emotional pain. "They're both going to be okay Kakashi. The medics told me you kept your team from getting more than a couple of minor scratches and a few broken bones. You did good, kiddo."

Sakumo saw a pained look cross Kakashi's face. "Is it always gonna be like this Father?"

"Is what going to be like this, Kashi?"

Kakashi's dark gray eyes – so like his own – held a pleading look in them. "Will I always have to kill people to keep my teammates safe?"

Sakumo's eyes went wide. His boy...his five-year-old boy..._had already taken his first kill? _Why the hell didn't somebody tell him about that? Shit...this changed everything. Sakumo took a deep breath and met Kakashi's eyes, about to say the one thing that would remove the very last essence of the boy's youth. But it had to be done if his boy was going to move beyond this moment.

"Kakashi, you are a shinobi of Konoha...just as I am. Death is simply part of who we are. Do you understand that?"

Kakashi closed his eyes and let loose a small sigh. "That's what I thought you'd say."

With that, the boy slipped into a fitful sleep, leaving Sakumo to watch over him and curse himself for ever exposing this gentle soul to the life of the shinobi.


	3. To Be A Chunin

Chapter 3

To Be A Chunin

Kakashi had never been so tired in his entire life, but he refused to rest on his way home from the Chunin Exam. Kakashi would have normally traveled the distance from the Arena to the Hatake Compound by transportation jutsu...or at the very least, taken to the roofs, but unfortunately there just wasn't enough chakra left in his body to do much of anything. So he was forced to use the crowded streets of Konoha to make his way home, putting him within earshot of far too many of the Village's inhabitants. But it couldn't be helped...he needed to let his father know how he did in the exams...especially considering the man wasn't allowed to attend the final match.

Kakashi pointedly tried to ignore the whispers from shinobi and civilian alike as he forced his exhausted legs to pull him through the crowded streets. Still, some whispers were a bit harder to ignore than others. But he dutifully did as Minato-sensei had instructed him over the past six weeks, and he didn't react to any of the overheard comments...whether they were words of amazement over a _child_ excelling in the exams...or the more common whispers about the White Fang's recent failure as a shinobi, and whether the son would grow up to make the same mistakes.

Kakashi kept his hands shoved deep in his pockets to keep from striking out, and sighed behind his mask. Why did his father have to go and mess things up, anyhow? Why didn't he just follow the rules...like he expected Kakashi to do? Since when did completing a mission become optional?

Kakashi was so deep in thought that he failed to notice a certain green-clad boy until he walked right into him. The resulting tumble to the ground did nothing to cheer him in the least. In fact, when his focus narrowed in on the lanky boy who was sprawled in front of him with an entirely inappropriate grin pasted across his face, it took all of Kakashi's control to keep from sticking a kunai into him.

Kakashi glared at the boy and pushed himself up to standing. He glanced down at the kid, only to find the boy still grinning back at him. After a stunned moment or two, Kakashi growled.

"What are you staring at?"

The grin on the boy's face spread wider, and he vaulted himself to his feet in what Kakashi considered a waste of energy. Pudgy fists were perched on the hips of the green-garbed monstrosity, and before Kakashi knew what what happening, the boy leaned forward until they were nose to nose.

"I know who you are! You...are Kashi Hatucki!"

Kakashi took an uncomfortable step back. Obviously this kid had run into one too many people – and maybe a few walls – in his lifetime. Perhaps if he just ignored him he'd go away. Kakashi turned and started walking toward his home once more, hands firmly back in his pockets to remove the urge to impale the odd kid. But after he took three steps he felt a firm tapping on his left shoulder. Kakashi peered to the side while continuing to walk down the road. There was the walking tree once more...still grinning like a fool. He frowned at the kid, making sure his eyes narrowed so the fool would get the hint even though Kakashi was wearing a mask. But the kid just kept walking next to him and grinning. Kakashi stopped walking and growled once more.

"Go away, kid."

The black-haired boy smiled back at him. "But I _know_ you!"

"So does half the village...go away, kid."

That said, Kakashi continued walking once more. Still, the boy continued to follow him. Every now and then he'd feel the annoying poke on his shoulder, and he'd glare until the boy backed off a bit. But soon he realized this kid was liable to follow him all the way to the Compound...and the last thing Kakashi wanted was for this psycho to know where he lived.

He felt the kid's hand move in for another poke, and Kakashi used what little energy he had left to spin on the fool and grab him by the wrist. The look of shock in the boy's dark eyes was nearly worth the dizzy feeling in his head from expending a bit more energy than he should have on that move.

"I told you to go away, kid. Go find someone else to bug...got it?"

A slight pout formed on the boy's lips and Kakashi rolled his eyes in disgust. Soon tears followed, and before Kakashi knew what was happening, the green-clad child threw himself into him arms and was bawling uncontrollably. Passersby glared at the two, standing in the center of the road, and Kakashi honestly had no clue what to do. This boy...this strange green-clad creature...just kept bawling, covering Kakashi with his tears and, much to Kakashi's disgust, his sweat. He'd never known a kid barely two inches taller than him could sweat so much. Kakashi tried to push the boy away, but that just made him cry harder and cling tighter, pushing his stench into his uniform.

A young woman cautiously walked up to them and leaned forward until she was face to face with the bawling boy in Kakashi's arms. She rubbed gentle circles on the kid's back while leveling a glare that nearly matched Kakashi's own before addressing him.

"What did you do to him, you bully?"

Kakashi's eyes snapped open in surprise. "What do you mean by that? I didn't do anything!"

Now the woman pried the soggy kid out of Kakashi's arms and pulled the boy into a gentle embrace. "There, there, little one. What did the mean old bully do to make you cry, hmm?"

Before Kakashi had the chance to defend himself again, the boy sat up and rubbed his sleeve across his still tearing eyes with a look of total confusion on his face. By now, quite a crowd was starting to form, and any chance of Kakashi just slipping away since he'd been extricated from the clinging boy was gone. Damn...how he wished he'd saved a little chakra in reserve...but he was spent, and honestly didn't have the energy anymore.

Another person – this time an older man – stepped up and grabbed Kakashi's arm while he directed his attention to the sobbing boy. "Did this one hit you, kid?"

Kakashi rolled his eye and pulled his arm free of the obvious civilian's grip with ease. At the same time, the boy threw himself at the older man's ankles...effectively knocking the man to the ground.

"Don't you _touch_ my Eternal Rival! He didn't hurt me at all! He just showed me how much more I have to learn is all!" The boy's gaze shifted to Kakashi with tears still streaming down his cheeks. "The way you caught my hand like that – it was...it was..._POETRY_! I can only _DREAM_ of being so skilled! I must practice the Spin and Grab one hundred times every day so that the next time we meet I can do it too!"

Everyone in the little crowd that had gathered around them stared at the crazed boy...especially when the kid started pantomiming the infamous Spin and Grab technique over and over again. For Kakashi's part, he just slipped away into the crowd, and pushed his legs to take him as far away from the insane boy as he could get. He could still hear the kid screaming on and on about making poetry with his body by the time Kakashi reached the gate to the Hatake Compound. He took a moment to lean against the gate post and catch his breath. The last thing he wanted to do was show up winded when he faced his father.

He looked toward the house and frowned. Normally there'd be lights on throughout the house by this time of day, but Kakashi could only see one shining in the growing gloom...out in the wing of the house where his father usually meditated. Maybe he'd lost track of time during his meditation and forgotten to turn on the rest of the lights. Yeah – that had to be it.

Kakashi toed off his shoes at the entrance, taking a moment to let out a small sigh at the feel of the cool wood against his overheated bare feet. He dutifully shed his kunai pouch onto the small shelf in the hall...just as he did every night when he returned from training or missions. The house was silent.

A shiver ran down Kakashi's spine at the absolute lack of noise. It was so unnerving that he starting forcing his own feet to slap a bit on the wood floor just so he heard something other than his heartbeat as he moved through the quiet hallways. When he grew closer to the target room, Kakashi was tempted to call out into the house, but his father would doubtlessly be upset with him if he interrupted the meditation that he was likely in the middle of. Instead, Kakashi let out another small sigh and tried to stretch out some of the more obvious kinks in his shoulders.

The Exams had been a lot more physical than he'd expected, and he knew he'd be dealing with aches and pains, along with the itching of healing cuts, for the better part of the next couple of weeks. But it had been worth it in the end. The Third Hokage himself had pulled Kakashi aside after the final battle and let him know he was being promoted to chunin effective tomorrow...when he officially turned six. He wasn't given a chunin vest yet, but that didn't really surprise Kakashi. After all, he already knew they'd have to have the village seamstress modify one of the existing vests to fit his much smaller form. Still, he couldn't wait to see the look of approval his father was sure to have at so great an accomplishment.

Kakashi allowed a small smile to cross his lips at that thought and picked up his speed through the dark house until, at last, he stood before the door to where his father was sure to be waiting. Kakashi took a deep breath to calm himself and wound up grimacing at the strong odor of sweat that still clung to his body after his run in with that kid. Kakashi pushed that encounter out of his head and then slowly slid the door open. In the dim light of the room, he could easily make out the form of his father kneeling on the floor...his head bowed forward slightly. Kakashi cleared his throat to give some warning of his presence to the man, although he was certain his father must have surely smelled him by now...especially the way he reeked right at that moment. Still, there was no movement from the man.

Kakashi frowned. Perhaps his father was practicing one of the deeper forms of meditation. After all, they had been working together on something his father called the ultimate meditation technique just before that last mission, so maybe this meant his father was feeling better and wanted to show him more about the technique. The small smile had made its way back onto Kakashi's face at the thought, and he stepped into the room eager to share time with his father once more.

Kakashi hadn't taken more than five steps into the room before his tired mind recognized something was wrong. His first clue had been the strong metallic scent that had managed to make its way through his mask and past the sweaty odor still clinging to him. The next clue came when the solid slap of his bare foot against the wooden floor was replaced by the splash of something liquid...too thick to be water. He felt that liquid ooze in between his toes and Kakashi's heart sped up of its own accord. He swallowed back his fear and finally spoke into the silence.

"Father? Father, I'm home."

There was no response. Kakashi felt the chill that had crawled down his spine earlier spread out to his fingers and toes as the silence dragged on. Perhaps his father was just really deep into his meditative state. That had to be why the man didn't answer him, right? Kakashi continued forward, trying desperately to fight back the thoughts that were starting to creep into his tired brain. The liquid under his feet continued to push through the spaces between his toes, but Kakashi steadfastly ignored it. He walked closer to where his father was kneeling and saw the man's right hand wrapped around the hilt of a tanto...his other hand lay palm up in a pool of the dark liquid. For a moment, Kakashi's tired brain couldn't figure out where the rest of the blade was...and he reached up to shake the man out of what he continued to try to convince himself was just a meditative trance. But the moment his hand brushed against the icy-cold skin of his father's unmasked face, Kakashi knew this was no trance.

"Dammit, Father..."

Before Kakashi could utter another word, the body shifted under his touch and tipped toward him. Kakashi tried to jump out of the way, but the thick liquid under his feet caused him to slip instead. He didn't have enough strength in his arms to push the rigid body away as it tottered toward him, and in a matter of seconds it came crashing down and pinned him to the floor. The way his father's body landed forced Kakashi flat onto his back with his hair soaking up the fluid that was all too obviously his father's blood. His hands were crushed between their two bodies, and his father's head twisted toward him until Kakashi's dark gray eyes were locked with the other's lifeless blue-gray orbs.

A small part of Kakashi's mind took in every single detail of the scene and compartmentalized it down to the basic facts so that he'd be able to learn from the mistakes he'd made and never be caught in such a situation again. Meanwhile, another part of his mind...the one that he tried never to let anyone else see...was screaming over the fact his father was dead, and his cold, cold, cold body was crushing the life out of him too. Those eyes...they seemed to be drilling into Kakashi's soul...daring him to utter so much as a whimper...to show a single sign of the weakness that dragged _him_ down into such a state.

Kakashi squeezed his eyes shut trying to keep from seeing that stare. It didn't work though. Even with his eyes firmly shut, that analytical part of his mind, which had already cataloged every aspect of his father's gaze, fed that vision to his mind so that, regardless of whether his eyes were open or shut, Kakashi continued to see his father's dead eyes staring back at him.

Eventually, a low groan escaped Kakashi's lips, and he wondered how long he'd been pinned to the floor. He knew it was awhile by now...after all, he could feel the thickening of the blood pooling under his body...soaking into his hair...making his uniform stiff. The scent of death now permeated everything around him and made him start to lose what little grip he had on his emotions. He could feel his chest tighten, and his breath came in gasps while a cold sweat was starting to cover his body. A moment later and Kakashi's entire body began to shake uncontrollably. The dead weight over him shifted slightly but then just settled onto his body and pinned him even more to the ground.

Kakashi felt hot tears streak his cheeks, and the air became harder and harder to draw in, as the weight of the body pressed down on Kakashi's chest until he could almost hear his own ribs starting to crack under the pressure. His hands were starting to lose feeling from his inability to move them, and Kakashi was honestly starting to wish he could die right along with his father. After all, he couldn't do this...not alone...not without his father. Kakashi heard a sharp, piercing scream in the silence of the room, and it took him a moment to recognize the voice as his own.

The screams continued for countless minutes, but eventually he felt a strange calmness come over him. His breathing evened out, and he pushed all of his physical discomfort far from his mind. All that mattered was that he needed to act like a shinobi...not like a weak little pathetic kid. Kakashi thought back to all those nights when his father had spoken to him about what made the perfect shinobi. That...above all else...a shinobi must adhere to the rules and do whatever the Hokage wanted of them.

Kakashi's resolve set on one sure fact...the Third Hokage believed in him enough to make him a chunin, and he'd be damned if he'd let the man currently pinning him down keep him from performing his duty to Hokage and Village. Someone would come...they always came...eventually. So Kakashi allowed his mind to clear and tried to rest until this torture was over.

-- --

* * *

Minato pushed off of the roof tile with one thought in mind...the Third Hokage had officially lost his mind. There was no other excuse for what the man had done. Sure, Kakashi had excelled at the Chunin Exams...everyone agreed about that. A smile pulled at Minato's lips. Actually, the boy had wiped the floor with more than a few of the much older combatants. But to elevate the kid to chunin when he wasn't even six! Minato shook his head.

And to make matters worse, the old man had buckled under the will of the Council and forbidden Sakumo Hatake from watching his boy participate in the damn thing. Like Sakumo didn't already feel bad enough. Minato sighed as he jumped down to the ground just outside of the Hatake Compound. Well, at least he should be happy that Kakashi performed to his expectations.

Minato started walking up the pathway to the main house and noticed something was off. By now, one of Sakumo's nin-hounds should have come bounding down the path to assault him with what Kakashi used to term 'doggy-kisses', but there wasn't a single fur-ball around. The jonin also noted only a single light was on in the house. He frowned and stretched out his chakra...something just didn't feel right to him. A quick sweep of the compound made that feeling double. There was no sign of Sakumo's signature at all...and Kakashi's was weaker than he'd even known it to be since he had taken the boy on as his student almost ten months ago.

Minato didn't bother with knocking, or removing his shoes as he entered the unnaturally quiet building. The first thing he noticed upon crossing the threshold was the distinct scent of death that seemed to permeate the very fibers of the house.

"Kakashi..."

The word left his lips before he knew what he was saying, and Minato moved toward the room he was certain he'd find Kakashi in with a desperation that nearly overwhelmed him. What if Sakumo had done something to the boy? In his depressed state, anything was a possibility. When Minato reached the room, he had to stop himself from gagging at the unbelievably strong stench of blood that mixed with the aroma of what could only be intestinal bile. It was the type of smell that, once identified in ones lifetime, was never forgotten. And as the Yellow Flash of Konoha, he had personally experienced that stench far too often.

Still, even knowing what was causing the odor, Minato was not prepared for what met him in that dimly lit room. His eyes went wide at the sight of Sakumo Hatake lying in a congealing puddle of his own blood and bile. Minato sighed in relief. So it was his own life Sakumo took. But this made no sense...where was Kakashi?

Minato stilled his breath for a moment and closed his eyes. He stretched out his chakra searching for the boy and nearly gasped aloud when he realized Kakashi's faint chakra signature was coming from _under_ Sakumo's body. Minato's eyes opened and he was across the room in a flash, pulling the dead weight of his sensei's best friend off of the small body of Kakashi. The boy's silver hair was soaked in his father's blood, and he looked like every breath taken was causing him pain.

"Dammit!" Minato was torn between his duty as a shinobi of Konoha, and his urge to pull the boy into his arms and comfort him.

A glance over to the dead form of Konoha's White Fang made it clear that he had to at least notify someone about what had occurred. Minato bit into the fleshy part of his thumb and sped through the hand signs needed to summon one of the smaller toads in his arsenal. It appeared in a puff of smoke and smiled up at him.

"What's up, kiddo?" A moment later, however, and the toad took in the gore all around him.

"I need you to go straight to the Hokage and let him know Sakumo Hatake has killed his shame along with himself, and that Kakashi's in bad shape too."

The toad took a quick look at the young boy that was still lying flat on his back and shook his head. "Damn shame."

Minato frowned. "Yeah...I know. Now get going."

With that, the toad hopped out of the room and Minato turned his attention back toward where Kakashi was silently watching him. He sighed and moved to kneel next to the young boy. "Kakashi..."

The boy blinked once, then he turned his gaze away from Minato, choosing to stare up at the ceiling instead. There was a strange, almost serene look on Kakashi's face, and it chilled Minato to see it on the youngster's face. It was a look he'd only ever seen in the eyes of battle-hardened shinobi after decades in the field, and the thought that it now resided within Kakashi's eyes caused his heart to ache.

By the time Minato had pulled Kakashi up off the floor and into his arms, ANBU had arrived and started their efficient analysis of the scene. They pulled the tanto out of Sakumo's stomach and wrapped the blade, and the body, before preparing to remove them for further review at the ANBU headquarters. The porcelain-masked leader of the ANBU squad approached Minato and his charge and set about asking a series of questions that were standard in the investigation of any death within the walls of the village. But somehow, as the faceless man fired off question after question to the small boy, Minato grew more and more angry.

"Can't this wait? The boy needs to get cleaned up, and I doubt he's eaten since before the final rounds of the Chunin Exam!"

The ANBU guard tipped his head slightly to the side and then shrugged. "You know these questions can not wait, Minato-sensei. So why waste time asking?"

Minato glared at the man. "He's just a boy, dammit!"

The ANBU was about to respond to Minato's outburst when Kakashi stirred within his arms. The boy was starting to move his hands as though trying to force his circulation to return. He twisted his blood-stained head until he could look into Minato's eyes and spoke without emotion.

"I am a chunin of Konoha. My duty is to the Village." He turned back toward the ANBU. "Ask your questions and I will answer truthfully."

Minato simply stared at Kakashi in shock as the boy spent the next two hours answering the ANBU's seemingly endless questions. By the time it was over, Minato took the time to swing by Kakashi's room to pick up some clean clothes and then carried the boy back to his own house to clean him up and make sure he was fed before putting him to bed in his spare room.

That night, Minato spent many hours simply watching over the boy and trying to soothe away Kakashi's nightmares. All through the night he cursed himself for wasting time after the exam arguing with the Hokage. If he'd just gone straight to the Hatake Compound, he would have been there to keep Kakashi safe...to help him understand why his father took his life. He looked down at the boy, whose forehead furrowed from what could only be another bad dream. Minato promised himself he'd make it up to Kakashi...somehow...if it was the last thing he ever did.


	4. Endings and Beginnings

Chapter 4

Endings and Beginnings

Sakumo Hatake was buried in the ground in a far off corner of Konoha's cemetery. Minato Namikaze was the only one there to witness it, besides the office worker whose job it was to chronicle such things. The Three Sannin were away on a long-term mission and not due back for at least another month...the Hokage was in a closed door session with the Konoha Council...and Kakashi...well, Kakashi had ignored Minato's urgings to attend the burial and chosen to go off and train instead.

There was only a small stone marker to show who was buried here, and even that only showed a number on it. There would be no addition of a name to the Memorial Stone...ones name could only be added there for honorable death in service of the Village. Sakumo's death, though honorable in its own way, had not been something to meet that criteria, so instead he was given the equivalent to a pauper's burial.

Minato stared down at the marker and frowned at the number carved in the rough white stone...thirty-one. Sakumo Hatake had devoted his life to this village for the better part of his life and now _this_ was all that would be left behind to mark his passing. The irony that the number carved on the stone happened to be the age of the man buried under it was not lost on Minato, and he wondered briefly if he'd be remembered in the same way at the end of his own life.

The sound of someone running toward him broke him from his depressing line of thought, and he tried to place a smile on his mouth before turning to see who was approaching. He was hoping that perhaps Kakashi had changed his mind and decided to join him here, but that thought disappeared along with his attempt at smile when he saw a strange, green-clad boy racing toward him. The boy's glossy black hair reminded him of an upside-down bowl, and he had strangely thick eyebrows peeking out under bangs that were seriously overdue for a trim. He skidded to a stop in front of Minato and gasped for air before finally speaking in a voice that seemed two sizes too big for a boy of his age.

"Hey you! You're Kashi...umm...no, no...I mean _Kakashi's_ sensei, right?"

Minato scratched at his temple. "Yes I am. Is there something I can help you with?"

"You've got to come quick, mister! His youthful flame isn't all that bright. He's not movin' and I think I may have broked him real good."

Minato shook his head at the horrible grammar and concentrated on what the boy was obviously trying to get across to him. His eyes went wide. "Kakashi's hurt?!?"

The young boy frowned. "Yeah...why else would I be looking for you?"

Minato grabbed the boy by the shoulders. "Where is he? Take me to him!"

Dark eyes went wide at his tone and then the boy pointed back toward where he came from. "He's back by the Big Heads...but he isn't movin'!"

Minato took a moment to try and remember this was one of Konoha's citizens and it wouldn't be a good thing to injure him when he was obviously _trying_ to help. He took a calming breath and released the grip he had on the boy.

"What's your name, son?"

Large eyes full of tears blinked up at him a moment before a larger than life grin stretched across his face. "I'm Gai! Who are you?"

Minato couldn't help but smile back. "My name is Minato, and I'm Kakashi's jonin sensei. Do you think you can show me where Kakashi is now, Gai?"

Tiny little fists were placed on green-spandex clad hips and the boy's face screwed up in what Minato had to assume was the child's 'serious' look. "OF COURSE I can take you to where Kakashi is broked up!"

With that, the boy spun on his heel and dashed off across the village. It wasn't too difficult to keep track of Gai, between his far shorter legs and the day-glo green outfit, and soon it became crystal clear just what place he'd meant when he claimed Kakashi was by the 'Big Heads'...it was the Hokage Monument...a series of enormous faces carved into the side of the mountain which towered over Konoha. Minato knew it was one of Kakashi's favorite training grounds because it was so far removed from the village, and also because there was such a wide variety of obstacles and terrains for him to test all types of attacks, defenses and jutsu.

Worry shot through him at just what the boy might have done in his attempt to avoid grieving for his father, and Minato kicked himself for not forcing his charge to stay with him today. He sped up to where Gai was still furiously pumping his legs as fast as he could and swept the boy into his arms and swiftly deposited him on top of his shoulders. Minato raced until he was running nearly full speed now.

"Is he at the lower field or the higher field, Gai?"

The boy clung to Minato's neck and screamed into his ear at such a volume that it caused him to nearly miss a step. "HE'S AT THE TOP OF THE FIRST BIG HEAD!"

With the information he needed, Minato lived up to his nickname of the Yellow Flash and transported them both to their destination in the blink of an eye. While Gai was still trying to get his bearings, Minato placed him gently to the ground. A quick scan of the area was all that was needed to find his target.

Lying at the base of a large tree was the sprawled form of Kakashi Hatake. His left arm bent out from his body in an angle that just didn't seem natural, and there was a large gash across his forehead that had leaked enough blood to dye his normal silvery-white bangs a startling shade of red. Minato moved to the boy's side and held his breath until he was certain the chunin's chest was actually rising and falling of its own accord. Then he carefully checked him over for any less obvious injuries.

Minato found a few scratches and another gash on Kakashi's left hip that had torn right through the boy's shorts, but that seemed to be it. A sob of anguish from beside him reminded Minato that he wasn't alone.

"Have I broken him forever, Minato-sensei? Will my Eternal Rival live to see another day?"

Minato furrowed his brow as he met eyes with the boy who seemed strangely out of place in a village full of ninja. "I'm sure he'll be fine Gai. But tell me...what happened here?"

Gai seemed to get a bit nervous then and took to staring at the ground while he shuffled from foot to foot. He seemed to be trying to decide if he should tell or not, but then he took a deep breath...puffing his green-clad chest out like a rooster before it crows, and proceeded to run off at the mouth at a speed that nearly rivaled the Yellow Flash's ability to listen.

"I told him I didn't believe he could do it so he did it and then I told him he couldn't do it again but he did and then I told him he couldn't do it again and he told me to shut up but he did it again and again and again and got higher and higher and higher and higher until he must've stepped wrong 'cuz he came crashing down through the branches until he landed..." Gai took another deep breath and let it out all at once and pointed to where Kakashi's body still hadn't moved. "...right there."

The boy's eyes welled up with tears again. "I didn't mean to break him...really...please don't tell my dad...'cuz if you do he won't let me train with Kakashi no more and then I'll _never_ catch up with him and I'll never get to be a ninja!"

This was followed by the most heart-wrenching sobs Minato had ever been witness too and all he could do was stare at the boy in disbelief.

"Gods, Sensei...did you _have_ to get him going again?"

Minato's focus snapped to where Kakashi was trying to push himself up into a sitting position with his good arm A groan from the young chunin was all he needed to snap out of his stupor, and he quickly moved to help him. "Kakashi...don't try to get up quite yet. I'm not sure how badly injured you are."

Kakashi let loose a large sigh and shrugged...which almost instantly turned into a wince of pain. "I'll live. He shouldn't have wasted your time."

Minato frowned at the boy. He looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes and haunted look in their depths. "What the hell were you thinking, Kakashi? I know perfectly well what you were trying to do out here, and you're lucky it was just your _arm_ that ended up broken! I thought I told you not to practice short range teleportation alone with no one to spot for you?"

"I wasn't alone. Gai was here."

Minato widened his eyes at the stupidity his genius-student just portrayed. "_Gai_? You expected a _kid_ to spot for you while you tried out an A-ranked jutsu? A pre-genin for that matter?"

Kakashi shifted his gaze to the side. "He's stronger than he looks."

"Kakashi! That's _not_ the point! You aren't supposed to be practicing that jutsu if I'm not there!"

The silver-haired boy glared back at him with such ferocity that it took Minato by surprise. "You were busy."

So _that's_ where this was going. Minato took a slow breath and tried to pull back his anger. "Kakashi, I was saying goodbye to a great man."

"Oh, did someone else get buried today too?"

That pushed Minato over the edge and he smacked Kakashi upside his head so quickly that the boy didn't have a chance of dodging it. "That's enough, Kakashi! I couldn't force you to go to your father's burial, but I _won't_ let you disrespect the man now that he's gone..._am I clear?_"

Kakashi's glare grew even more cold. "Yes, Sensei. Are we done here? I need to get my arm set."

Minato let out an exasperated sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. "Kakashi...I'm sorry...I just..."

Kakashi pushed himself to standing...his arm hanging awkwardly at his side. "I'll ask again, Sensei. Are we done?"

Minato closed his eyes and lowered his head in defeat. "Yes, Kakashi. We're done here."

Kakashi slowly walked toward where the long staircase down from the training field was located. Thanks to the gash on his leg the boy was limping, but he still moved with purpose...looking far older than the six year old he was. Minato watched Gai jump up and run over to Kakashi, quickly falling into step beside the boy. Minato sighed once more and followed behind them silently.

-- --

* * *

Kakashi sat on the edge of the hospital's exam table and waited for the doctor to arrive. He was really starting to hate this place. Everything was so clean it hurt his eyes, and there was absolutely nothing to distract him while he waited for what would inevitably end in pain for him.

He'd known practicing the jutsu without Minato-sensei was not his brightest moment, but when he'd managed to do it successfully six times in a row he really didn't think adding a tiny bit more distance to it would have mattered that much. Kakashi looked at the unnatural angle of his left arm as it stuck out from his body and let a puff of air out of his mouth. Obviously he had made a miscalculation.

"Kakashi...we need to talk."

Kakashi frowned as the voice of the Hokage filled the room. He didn't think Minato-sensei would stoop so low as to rat him out to the Old Man. He pushed himself off the table so he could stand at attention before Konoha's leader, and nearly fell when his left leg threatened to give out. He managed to steady himself and lifted his gaze to meet the Hokage's eyes which were wide with something that might have been shock.

Kakashi forced himself to ignore both the look in the Hokage's eyes, and the searing pain in his arm and leg. "How may I help you, Lord Hokage?"

"For a start you can get back on the table young man."

Kakashi frowned but didn't bother to argue against the Hokage's orders. He used his good arm to pull himself back onto the examination table and then sat perfectly still. He could feel the Old Man's eyes scanning him from head to toe and thought for certain he was in for another lecture on his stupidity. Instead, he felt the older man's arms gentle wrap themselves around Kakashi's shoulders, carefully avoiding where the left arm was broken. Kakashi tensed at once and allowed a low warning hiss to escape his mouth, but the Hokage only tightened his grip a bit more and perched his chin on top of Kakashi's head.

"Has it truly come to this, Kakashi? Do you care so little for your own life now?"

He stiffened a bit more in the Hokage's grasp. "All that matters is the safety of Konoha, Hokage."

The Hokage released his grip and placed one hand under Kakashi's chin, tilting it up until their eyes met. "You _are_ Konoha, Kakashi."

Kakashi closed his eyes. "I am a shinobi who has sworn to protect Konoha...nothing more."

He felt the Hokage's hand move away from his chin, but Kakashi left his eyes shut. The silence dragged on for many minutes before he finally opened his eyes. "Was this what you wanted to talk to me about, Hokage?"

The older man ran a hand through his graying hair and sighed heavily. "No, Kakashi. But I want your injuries tended to before I'll talk to you more."

With that, the Hokage left the room and could be heard talking harshly to the medics that Kakashi knew had been hovering just outside the door. A moment later and not one, but three medics entered and started their exam. They were quick to cut Kakashi's clothing off of his body so that they could get a better look at the damage he'd done to himself...not that he cared in the least...even as they cut away his mask.

What the medics lacked in bedside manners they made up for in efficiency. In less than twenty minutes, Kakashi's leg wound was sealed shut and bound with a layer of protective bandages, and his broken arm was reset and placed in a half cast and sling...with a curt explanation that they simply couldn't chakra-fuse the bones until the swelling from the injury reduced father. When they finished, the squad of medics left the room as quickly as they had entered, leaving Kakashi sitting on the exam table in nothing more than his boxers and bandages.

Kakashi closed his eyes and tried to clamp down on the unexpected urge to cry. He ran Shinobi Rule Twenty-five through his mind over and over until he regained control of his emotions. Only then did he finally open his eyes just to be startled by the fact the Hokage was standing directly in front of him staring down with a knowing glance. Kakashi felt his heart speed up and struggled to resist the desire to squirm under that intense look. He frowned slightly when the older man just continued to stare at him without a word, but he refused to be the first one to break the silence.

After another five minutes of the standoff, the Hokage let out a sigh and rubbed at the back of his neck. Kakashi inwardly groaned. That particular hand movement was generally followed by the Old Man trying to get Kakashi to open up. Normally he could resist such a ploy without becoming angry or outspoken, but at the moment, Kakashi was tired, hurt and wanted nothing more than to curl up somewhere and sleep until he could take this damnable sling off his arm.

"Kakashi..." The Hokage looked like he wasn't sure how to continue...which left Kakashi on guard.

"Yes, Hokage?" He was glad that he managed to keep all his bottled up emotions from sounding in his voice, although he noted the Hokage didn't seem quite as pleased.

"The medics said you acted bravely during their exam. That you didn't even put up a fuss when they reset your arm."

Kakashi remained silent. Technically he hadn't been asked a question...so he felt no need to speak. After another long silence the Hokage frowned at him.

"The Counsel and I met this morning to discuss your future. And it's been decided that you need a change."

That caught Kakashi's full attention. Could they possibly try and keep him from being a shinobi? He knew his fear was showing on his uncovered face, but this was his life they were talking about!

"Have I done something wrong, Lord Hokage? Haven't I followed all the shinobi rules?"

The Hokage's face took on a look of disbelief. "What? Of course you've followed the rules. Kakashi, this has nothing to do with your role as a shinobi."

Now he was confused. What else was there? The Hokage actually chuckled at him then, causing a frown to settle on Kakashi's lips.

"Kakashi...we've decided you shouldn't stay at the Hatake Compound any longer."

Kakashi's frown deepened. "I won't go to an orphanage Lord Hokage."

Again the chuckle. "Of course not, Kakashi. I would never put the caretakers through that."

One glare from Kakashi caused the old man to switch from chuckling to coughing before continuing on. "Actually Kakashi, we've come up with two options. You can move in with Minato-sensei, or you can move into your own apartment...under the care of the Landlady."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the man, wondering where the catch was. "And it's my choice as to which one I pick?"

The Hokage grinned at him. "Of course it is, Kakashi. You're a chunin after all."

"And if I choose the apartment?"

"It really isn't much more than a bed and a bathroom, Kakashi. Meals will be provided to you by the Landlady, and she'll help you as much or as little as you'd like with the cleaning."

Kakashi knew this would come eventually. He was only six, after all, and couldn't maintain a house the size of the Hatake Compound on his own...not that he had really wanted to stay there anyway. Still, he couldn't help but feel a bit odd about leaving the only home he'd ever known.

"What will happen to the Compound?"

The Hokage smiled warmly at him. "It will be held in trust for you...along with your family's holdings...until you reach an age where the Counsel feels you're ready to take them back."

Kakashi closed his eyes and felt the edges of exhaustion start to pull on him. He forced his eyelids open again met the Hokage's dark eyes steadily. "I would like my own apartment, Lord Hokage."

A brief flash of disappointment crossed the old man's face but was washed away with another smile. "Although I'm sure Minato will be sad that he lost out to a woman twice his age, I know this move will be in your best interest."

Kakashi nodded his head once and moved to get down from the table. The Hokage's firm hand on his shoulder stopped him from moving. "And where is it that you think you're going, young man?"

Kakashi blinked back his confusion. "To go pack."

The Hokage shook his head. "No."

"No?"

"Packing can wait until you have two arms to use again." His glance shifted to scan Kakashi's body. "Not to mention you'll need something more than your boxers to walk through the village, don't you think?"

Kakashi felt a slight blush creep up his neck at that observation. "Yes sir."

Again the chuckle filled the air and Kakashi felt the Hokage's hand settle on his head. "I'll send someone in to move you to a room for the next few days. For now, Kakashi, just concentrate on getting better. After all, Gai will want to visit you tomorrow to make sure you're okay."

Kakashi rolled his eyes and groaned at the thought of the hyperactive green toad coming to see him in a place where he couldn't avoid him. As the Hokage left him to go make arrangements for a room assignment, Kakashi glanced at the window wondering how hard it would be to force the thing open and slip out unnoticed. The sound of the Hokage and a medic coming back in the room put Kakashi's hopes for escape on hold...at least until he was settled into his room. Then...all bets were off.


	5. Blood, Sweat and Tears

Chapter 5

Blood, Sweat and Tears

Gai wiped the sweat from his eyes even as he skidded to a stop at the edge of the training field...just shy of plummeting over the edge of the First Hokage's head. His breath was coming hard and fast and his heart was racing. He moved away from the edge and back toward where the tree line was. Gai wasn't sure what he'd done to piss off Kakashi this time, but from the speed of his friend's attacks, it must have been something major. He barely heard the much thinner boy's approach, and just had time to raise his arms into position to block some of the kick, before it sent him sailing through the air into a small group of trees.

Once he landed, Gai frowned and glared at where Kakashi was slowly walking toward him, not even slightly winded from their spar. How was that even possible? Gai's frown twisted into a look of determination as he pushed himself back up to standing on shaky legs and tried to take up a defensive position once more. But Kakashi simply shoved his hands into his pockets and rolled his eyes.

"Why don't you call it a day, Gai? You obviously weren't ready to spar today."

Gai stood up straight and his eyes went wide in disbelief. "But Kakashi...that's not fair! Maybe if you slow down I'd be able to do better!"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at him. "So you want me to go at you with less than my best?"

Gai smiled a toothy grin at his friend. "Yeah – that would help a lot!"

Kakashi sighed. "No...it wouldn't."

"Yes it would!"

"No, Gai...it _won't_ help."

Gai scratched his head and frowned. "Why not? We don't spar this hard at the Academy, and the Sensei doesn't seem to mind."

"Then maybe you should find someone from the Academy to spar with."

"WHAT!?! Why would I want to do that, Kakashi? I thought you _liked_ sparring with me!" Gai could feel the tears starting to fall down his cheeks and he saw Kakashi's face scrunch up in a look of disgust.

"Listen Gai, you can't even keep up with my warm-up. How will you ever be able to have an all-out spar with me?"

Gai's tears stopped and his mouth gaped. "_That_ was just your _warm-up_?!?"

Kakashi shrugged and turned to head back toward the center of the training ground. "I've got a mission tomorrow and I can't waste my time training with someone so slow."

Gai sat heavily on the ground as Kakashi's words ran around in his head. He was too slow...how would he _ever_ catch up to his Eternal Rival if he couldn't even manage to go through his _warm-up_ without panting like a dog? He glanced back up to where Kakashi was running through more exercises at a speed that was unbelievable. His friend moved from one pattern to the next, with no breaks in between, and soon Gai was mesmerized by the fluid motions . He was totally unaware of everything around him...that is, until his stomach growled so loud that he was surprised out of his daze.

Gai blinked against the bright light streaming through the trees and realized it was at least noon...if not later. He'd been so wrapped up in Kakashi's workout that he'd let half the day pass by! He looked back to where his friend was still going nonstop, and he wondered where Kakashi could have possibly found that much energy.

"Kakashi! Hey, Kakashi!!"

The silver-haired boy ignored him and continued to strike out at imaginary foes, his fists blurring with their speed. Gai sighed, even as his stomach growled painfully once more. He gave a short wave at where Kakashi was now using a tree stump to work on his kicks, and slowly walked over to where the long staircase led back to the village from atop the Big Heads.

Gai wandered past one of the farmyards on the outskirts and noticed an old man trying to coax his oxen into their pen. The two large animals moved so slowly that it was almost painful to watch as the man continued to apply a long thin stick to the animals' backsides in an effort to get them to move quicker. Once the beasts were on the inside of the pen, the man moved to the task of removing the massive wooden yoke from around the oxen's shoulders.

Gai saw the older man was struggling with the large, heavy contraption and rushed to help...just as his dad always told him to do. "Hey there! I'm Gai! Can I help you?"

The old man looked him up and down from behind eyes the color of mud, and eventually gave him a brisk nod. Gai smiled brightly and gave the old man an enthusiastic thumbs up...his hunger momentarily forgotten. Between the two of them, the animals' burden was removed and placed on a wooden structure that seemed to be made just for the purpose of holding the yoke.

The moment that enormous weight was lifted from the oxen, they took off into the penned off area and moved about at a fast trot...nearly ten times as fast as when they were weighted down. Gai narrowed his eyes at what he was witnessing. More weight during a task meant more speed once the weight was gone...hmm...could that really work?

The old man patted Gai on his head. "That was good work there, boy. You want to stick around for lunch?"

Gai smiled wide and shook his head. "Sorry, but I've gotta go! I have to ask my dad to help me figure out how to be an Ox!"

With that, Gai sped out of the confused man's home and raced to the Academy. With luck his dad would have some good ideas on how to help him do what he had in his head.

-- --

* * *

Kakashi pulled himself through the window in his apartment and landed heavily onto the floor between his bed and writing table. He let out a long sigh and started taking his pouches and weapons off and setting them across the table. His critical eye looked at the chips and blood-stained edges and he knew he'd be in for another long night of cleaning and sharpening before he'd allow himself to sleep.

Even as that thought crept through him mind, his body betrayed him with a huge yawn. Kakashi frowned at his weakness and kicked his sandals off to land in a heap under the window. Then he started toward the bathroom door so he could strip out of his clothing and climb into a hot shower. Just the thought of that shower made him move his feet a bit quicker.

The mission he'd been sent on was for just him and Minato-sensei, and was supposed to be a C-ranked retrieval mission that would only take three days to complete. Unfortunately the client failed to mention that the house they needed to get the scroll from was actually under the control of a self-proclaimed war-lord. Or the fact that the man had hired a slew of mercenaries to guard, not only the house, but a fair amount of the land around it as well.

So even though he and Minato-sensei had managed to get into the area easily enough by pretending to be a father and son in the middle of a bonding trip, once the scroll had been acquired, they became the obvious culprits...as everyone else in the village was either hired by, or related to, the war-lord. In a matter of minutes after they grabbed the scroll, Kakashi and Minato-sensei found themselves cornered against a sheer cliff with over two dozen angry men pointing various sharp weapons their way.

If it hadn't been for his sensei's quick thinking, and quicker Body-flicker jutsu, he knew he'd have a hell of a lot more wounds than he did right now. But on the bright side, even though the mission took over a week to complete in a way that wouldn't draw the war-lord's wrath down on Konoha, it was reclassified as an A-ranked assignment once sensei turned in the final report. That meant Kakashi's bank account would almost double from just this one mission...which also meant he could finally upgrade some of his weapons.

Kakashi turned the water on as hot as it would go and started pulling his clothes off and piling them in the basket the Land Lady provided for just such things. He cringed a little when the shirt took off a bit of a scab that had started forming on one of the nastier cuts across his stomach, but he'd be damned if he'd go back to _that place_ unless he was near death. The avoidance of sterile white walls and overly hostile medics made a little pain from dealing with his own injuries more than worth it.

Kakashi pulled his mask-shirt off the rest of the way and stared at his reflection in the slightly fogged over mirror. His pale skin was criss-crossed with fresh bruises and both old and new cuts. His ribs stuck out a bit, but not enough to cause Minato-sensei to insist he wasn't eating enough..._again_. His silver hair stuck out in all the right places, and he was pleased to see he was finally starting to form some muscles over his long arms and legs. After all, it was bad enough being named after a scarecrow without having to look like one too.

He used the angle of the mirror and looked down to where his shirt had caught on his injury. and for a brief moment Kakashi felt a cold chill settle over him. As the misty steam from the shower cast the room in a cloudy haze, the image he saw in the mirror looked frighteningly like his father had the last time he'd seen the man...right down to a slit in the stomach.

Kakashi closed his eyes and tightened his hands into fists. It had been two years since that bastard killed himself and he was _still_ haunting him! Kakashi pulled back his right arm and slammed his fist into the glass...shattering it, and the image of his father, in one shot.

"Dammit!"

He stared down into the basin of his sink as large drops of dark crimson fell onto the white porcelain. He hung his head for a moment before turning on his heel and deliberately stepping under the hot water of the shower. He let the liquid wash away the blood and dirt, along with the still raw memories, down the drain. Once the water ran cold, Kakashi turned it off and grabbed a towel on his way back to his bedroom...making certain he avoided seeing his fractured image on the way.

He looked around his tiny room while he toweled off and realized any hope of sleep disappeared with the shattering of his mirror. So he opened his closet and pulled on a fresh set of clothes before grabbing his practice weapons and putting his sandals back on. With one final long look toward the bathroom, Kakashi climbed out the window and toward his favorite training ground for a little serious kunai practice. Maybe if he exhausted himself enough he could keep the nightmares from returning...at least one night this week.

-- --

* * *

Hiruzen peered out from under the brim of his conical white and red hat until he could see into the face of his youngest jonin-sensei. Minato Namikaze looked a little worse for wear, but after reading his report about his mis-rated mission, it didn't come as a surprise to him. Still, there was something in the depths of those clear blue eyes that disturbed him.

He reached to his right and grabbed a hold of his smoke-pipe without breaking eye contact with the man, and it wasn't until he moved to light that pipe that the blond-haired jonin finally let loose a large sigh. Hiruzen chuckled lightly and motioned for Minato to take a seat across from him. The young man looked back toward the door a bit, anxiously.

"Minato...sit down. There's nothing you need to do that can't wait a few more moments."

Although he'd said the words softly, it was clear that Minato took them for the order that they were. Hiruzen had a sneaking suspicion that he knew why the man was so on edge, and it actually was part of the reason he'd requested Minato to stay behind once he and Kakashi had delivered the scroll to him. Before he had a chance to say another word, however, he noticed Minato clench his fists and stare straight at him with the most serious look he'd ever seen on the younger man's face.

"Lord Hokage...you need to assign Kakashi to another sensei."

Hiruzen took a long draw on his pipe...allowing the smoke to curl into the space between them before he replied. "And why would I need to do that, Minato?"

The blond's eyes briefly took on a look of ultimate sorrow before hardening in a flash. "Kakashi doesn't listen to me."

Now that caught Hiruzen's attention. "Minato, that lad is a walking Shinobi Rule Book...I cannot believe he'd ignore your orders."

Minato shook his head. "It isn't my orders that I'm talking about, Hokage. Kakashi is nothing but the perfect shinobi when we're out on missions." The young man frowned and scratched at his ear before falling into silence.

Hiruzen waited a few moments to see if Minato would go on, but as the silence continued he realized the jonin would not speak. He took another puff of his pipe before speaking himself. "What has the boy done new, Minato?"

The man fidgeted under Hiruzen's stare. "It's just...well...Kakashi takes _everything_ so seriously."

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair. "Let me get this straight, Minato. You want me to reassign Kakashi to a new sensei because he's too _serious_?"

Minato crossed his arms in front of him and rolled his eyes in a way that reminded Hiruzen all too much of the jonin's own sensei...Jiraiya. "When you say it _that_ way. Hokage, you make it sound stupid!"

Hiruzen took his hat off and laid it on the desk before he leaned forward to place his elbow on the surface and perch his chin on his folded hands. "Let's try this again, shall we Minato?"

Minato sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck before he nodded. Hiruzen narrowed his gaze at the man. "Okay Minato...what's Kakashi _not_ doing that has you so worked up?"

"Did you know he isn't sleeping again?"

Hiruzen's eyes widened in surprise, but Minato continued speaking before he had a chance to comment.

"And he hasn't had any of his injuries from the last four missions checked out by a medic-nin either." Minato stared out the window toward the Hokage Monument. "I've found him in the upper training fields six times in the last month."

Hiruzen studied the man carefully as he replied. "As long as Kakashi wears a Shinobi headband he is allowed in those fields, Minato."

The blond glared dangerously at him and spoke through clenched teeth. "All six times I found him he was unconscious from either physical exhaustion or chakra depletion!"

It was Hiruzen's turn to glare. "Why would you let him train that hard, Minato?!? He's a growing boy! That could be disastrous to his health!"

Minato placed his fists on the edge of the desktop and leaned in until they were eye to eye. "Don't you think I realize that?!? But I can't control what he does when he's _supposed_ to be sleeping! He goes out at all hours of the day and night...usually when the fields are technically closed!"

Hiruzen leaned back once more. "That makes no sense. His Land Lady keeps an eye on him for me, and she swears she hasn't heard him leave his room at all once he's in for the night."

All the anger and energy seemed to drain away from Minato as a small chuckle escaped his lips and he slumped back into his chair. "Just like Kakashi _didn't_ leave his hospital room the last time he was there...but we found he was long gone when little Gai went to visit him."

Both men sighed and settled into a comfortable silence as they tried to puzzle out a way to help the enigma that was Kakashi Hatake. Finally Hiruzen broke the silence.

"I hate to break it to you, Minato, but I don't think changing his sensei is the answer. That boy's already had enough loss of stability in his life – you're the one steady thing he has going for him right now."

Again, Minato rolled his eyes dramatically. "Great...so I get to watch the kid slowly kill himself."

Hiruzen groaned. "That's not what I meant at all, Minato. I think the young Hatake simply needs a new dynamic in his life."

"A new dynamic?" The look of doubt on the jonin's face almost made Hiruzen laugh out loud.

"Yes, Minato...a new dynamic. But I have some details to work out about it before I'll be ready to tell you more. So go home and get some rest, and make sure you and Kakashi come to see me for lunch tomorrow. Okay?"

Minato sighed in what sounded like relief and looked like he was about to say something when the door to the office was pushed open. Hiruzen's personal assistant ushered an elderly woman over to the desk. He instantly recognized her as the Land Lady of Kakashi's building, and he was on his feet in an instant.

"Kokumei, what's wrong? Has something happened?"

"Lord Hokage...I didn't hear the boy come in, but I did hear his shower running. Then there was this crash...but the water turned off so I figured everything was fine. But later I figured the boy might be hungry...cause he hadn't been home in quite some time, so I knocked...but he didn't answer."

The older woman looked on the brink of tears and Minato sprung from his seat and let her take the vacated chair. Hiruzen moved to stand in front of her. "Calm down Kokumei and tell me what happened."

The woman took a shuddering breath and held up a bloody towel. "I...I don't usually go in without him letting me in...but I was worried. So I used my key and found this in the doorway to the bathroom. I went in there and the mirror was _shattered...a_nd there was blood all over the basin and floor."

Minato's face paled. "What about Kakashi! Where's Kakashi!"

Hiruzen glanced toward the jonin and frowned at him before returning his attention to the woman. "Kokumei...this is important...where is the boy?"

Tears were flowing down her cheeks now. "That's what I came to tell you, Lord Hokage. The boy's window was wide open and there was blood on the ledge."

Minato was gone in a flash before Hiruzen had a chance to say a single word to him. He turned to his aide. "Yuunou, take Kokumei back to her home and then fetch a medic squad right away."

Yuunou helped the older woman up before he met Hiruzen's gaze. "Where should I send the medics, Lord Hokage?"

Hiruzen placed his hat back on his head and lifted his hands into the seal for the transportation jutsu. "Send them to Training Field One-A. As quick as you can please."

With that, he completed the jutsu and disappeared in a cloud of white smoke, hoping he wouldn't be too late to save another Hatake.


	6. The Importance of First Impressions

Chapter 6

The Importance of First Impressions

Kakashi sat on the edge of his bed and balled his hands into fists. This was just ridiculous! It was two in the morning and he couldn't sleep...again. Before, he'd use this time to head to Training Field One-A and work through his insomnia. Unfortunately, that was no longer an option for him...not since Minato-sensei and the Third Hokage caught him overdoing it a month ago.

After a three-day stay in the hospital for severe chakra depletion and a busted hand, he'd been forbidden from leaving his apartment between the hours of 8pm and 6am unless accompanied by Minato-sensei. Kakashi looked down at the fresh scars scattered across the knuckles of his hand and frowned. He'd never particularly liked being forced to stay indoors...but after the third time Kakashi went against the ruling, an ANBU guard was posted just outside both his door and his window to make sure it didn't happen again. Of course, all that did was force Kakashi to find some other way to escape...but after he used the Body-flicker technique one time too many, part of his daily routine now included having the ANBU place a chakra seal on him each time he was deposited back into his apartment for the day.

Kakashi stood up and paced the length of his small apartment, trying to burn up his anger and hoping he'd wear himself out enough to at least grab a couple of hours of rest before Minato-sensei showed up at his door. He would have practiced some more of his taijutsu, but the Landlady made it quite clear after the last time he did that indoors that he'd be reported to the Hokage if it ever happened again. Of course, maybe if he hadn't kicked a hole in the wall he might have gotten away with it a bit longer.

Kakashi sighed and continued his pacing. When it was clear that it wasn't going to work, he moved to where his weapons were laid out on his desk. One critical glance showed him they were already as clean and sharp as he could get them without damaging the items. He sighed once more and turned his attention toward the shelves holding a few of the books and scrolls he'd collected over the years. Pulling the nearest scroll out, he opened it and proceeded to turn to the task of memorizing what was on it...in this case, specific information on the various types of kunai and the best uses for each of them. He finished this quickly enough and turned to the next scroll on the shelf...this one on the basic structures of seals and their variations. Kakashi lost himself in the rows upon rows of neatly inked characters, and soon found himself tired enough to try to sleep.

It seemed to him that he'd only just laid his head onto his pillow when a knock on his window jarred him awake once more. Kakashi groaned when he saw the shock of bright yellow hair on the other side of the glass that meant his sensei was obviously ready to start his day. A glance at the clock on the wall told him it was only 5am and he let loose a groan before flopping back onto his bed.

Kakashi rolled over so his back was to the window and he pulled his sharingan-print comforter over his head, trying his best to block out his insane sensei. Unfortunately, all this did was give the man the incentive to let himself into Kakashi's room...adeptly avoiding the traps on the window...so he could yank the warm comforter off of the bed. Kakashi ignored him farther and pulled his pillow over his face to hide from the man who was now grinning like a crazed lunatic at the foot of his bed.

"Come on, Kakashi...we need to meet at the Hokage's office at 6am."

Kakashi kept the pillow over his head as he gave his muffled reply. "Then come back in 55 minutes."

Laughter was the only response Kakashi received before he felt Minato-sensei's firm grip wrap around his bare ankle just moments before he was yanked off the bed and onto the floor. Kakashi glared up at the jonin, who simply grinned down at him while holding up a brown paper bag.

"Go take your shower and get dressed, Kakashi." Minato-sensei shook the bag. "I brought breakfast!"

Kakashi pushed himself up off the floor and reluctantly headed toward the washroom. "It better not be ramen again, Sensei. I don't care what you say...that _isn't_ breakfast food."

Again, he was met with laughter. "I disagree entirely with that Kakashi...but regardless, I brought Tomago gohan for you."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the man. "Where's the egg?"

Minato grinned. "Don't worry, Kakashi. I wouldn't dare mix the egg in for you...I know you prefer to do it yourself. So hurry up and get moving...or I just might change my mind!"

Kakashi let out an exasperated sigh and closed the door to the washroom behind him. He carefully avoided looking at the cracked mirror that still hung over the basin as he peeled off his pajamas and stepped into the shower. Soon enough, he had washed up, dressed, and eaten his meal while watching his overenthusiastic sensei scarf down a hefty serving of cold ramen. Now the two of them were getting ready to head out to the Hokage's office.

Minato-sensei had already opened the door and was halfway out when Kakashi called out to him. "Sensei...don't you think you've forgotten something?"

Minato looked back at him with a confused expression while he patted down his pockets. "Nope...I've got all I need. Now come on Kakashi...or we'll be late!"

Kakashi crossed his arms and glared at the man. "What about the seals, Sensei?"

A mischievous half-smile found its way onto the man's lips, and Kakashi knew he wasn't going to like the answer. "The Hokage asked me to tell the ANBU to keep them in place until _after_ our meeting."

Kakashi frowned, but followed after his sensei once it was clear he'd need to walk the entire way to the Tower. It wasn't far...only about fifteen blocks from his apartment...but without being able to use his chakra to sail over the rooftops, it felt like it was much farther. This early in the day, there was no one out in the wide streets of the Village, but that didn't stop the memories of a similar walk with little chakra in his system that had led him to discover his father's dead body. So, by the time they finally arrived at the Tower, Kakashi's mood had darkened drastically. It showed no signs of getting better as he ran over all the possible reasons the Third Hokage wouldn't want him to have access to his chakra until after their meeting. Nothing he came up with was enough to explain away this twist...and that in itself put him on edge.

Kakashi's shoulders tensed when Minato-sensei placed his hands on them and gently pushed him toward the stairs which led inside the building. They reached the door to the office and Kakashi was quickly ushered in by the Hokage's personal aide. The strange look the man gave him as he stepped into the room was just one more reason Kakashi's heart rate was a bit faster than normal...not that he'd let it show to any outside observers.

And, as it turned out, there were plenty of those outside observers waiting for him within the Hokage's office. Kakashi shoved his hands into his pockets as he stepped toward the Hokage's desk, feeling far too vulnerable in a room full of near-strangers without having access to even one strand of his chakra.

Behind the Hokage, standing silently and leveling their harsh gazes in his direction, were three people Kakashi hadn't seen since the day he'd taken his Academy Entrance exam. He came to a stop before them and bowed his head respectfully to the Hokage, and then the three elders behind him.

"Lord Hokage...you wanted to see me?"

Kakashi felt the eyes of the two men and one woman behind the Hokage burning into him as he resolutely kept his focus on the man sitting behind the desk. It was obvious to him that he was being measured up against some unknown measure, and he didn't enjoy it in the least.

"Ah, yes, Kakashi. I wanted to offer you a new opportunity...one that is sure to help you grow stronger as a shinobi of Konoha."

Kakashi noticed the elder that was wrapped partially in bandages and leaning on a cane seemed to snort at the Hokage's words, and he couldn't help but wonder about his reaction. By the look on the Hokage's face, he had heard the noise as well, and so Kakashi wasn't surprised when the next words out of the older man's lips were directed to the Counselor.

"Danzou, we've already discussed this. Do not make me ask you to leave."

Kakashi noticed Danzou kept his face perfectly neutral at the Hokage's words, but he also saw the hand holding the cane tighten ever so slightly on the gnarled wood in its grip. Kakashi narrowed his eyes and knew he'd need to keep his distance from this man. His attention returned to the Hokage when he heard him speak to him once more.

"Kakashi, we've been meeting with your sensei for some time now...finding out what your strengths and weaknesses are...and have come to the decision that, in order to make you the best shinobi you can be, we need to change things up a bit for you."

Kakashi frowned. "Am I being reassigned to a new sensei, Hokage?"

A low chuckle from next to him, followed by a hand reaching out and ruffling his hair, reminded Kakashi that Minato-sensei was in the room as well. "You can't get rid of me that easily, Kakashi."

"Minato is correct, Kakashi. You will still have him as your sensei." The Hokage's eyes twinkled and a sly smile crossed his lips. "You'll just have to share him now."

Kakashi's eyes went wide as the words started to sink into his brain. Before he could say a single word in response to that statement, Minato-sensei placed one hand between Kakashi's shoulder blades. To those in the room, it likely looked like the man was sharing his support in front of the Counselors. In reality, it was the elite-jonin's silent signal to Kakashi that he needed to be on his best behavior...and that Minato-sensei would be there to stop him if he even tried to leave now. That in itself let Kakashi know he wasn't going to like whatever came next.

The Hokage leaned forward and placed his chin on his folded hands before speaking again. "Kakashi...it's been decided that when you have too much time on your hands that you tend to overdo your training a bit. Let's face it my boy...you've had more than a few close calls when training by yourself."

Kakashi frowned behind his mask, but as he wasn't asked any questions, he remained silent. The Hokage sighed and leaned back in his chair before motioning to the Counselors behind him with a wave of his hand. "_Some_ feel that you won't respond to anything less than severe discipline."

Kakashi watched a scowl cross Danzou's face and he knew with certainty that he never wanted to learn what that man's idea of 'severe discipline' was. The bandaged man took a single step forward and looked like he was about to say something, but the Hokage continued before the man could comment.

"However, I feel it would be better to try a different approach before resorting to such..._drastic_ extremes. Starting today, Kakashi Hatake, you will become part of a team led by Minato Namikaze." Now the Hokage was smiling. "This way, even when you are not on a mission, your team will enable you to always have someone available to train with you...thus eliminating any fear of you overdoing it again."

Kakashi's head was spinning. Wasn't it bad enough he suffered through all the stupid restrictions they'd already placed on him? Now he was going to be forced to be teamed up with what the Hokage basically had spelled out to be his very own round-the-clock babysitters. He was starting to understand why the Hokage had instructed them to leave the chakra seals in place. If he had access to his chakra he'd probably have made his escape by now...or possibly done something he'd truly regret...in the form of a jutsu or two. Instead, all he could do was stand there and wonder just who the hell his babysitters would be, and how the hell he could get out of this place before he lost his patience and said or did something he'd regret.

Minato's concerned voice brought him out of his musings. "Kakashi...you okay, kid?"

It was then that Kakashi realized he was lying flat on his back with Minato-sensei staring down at him. And as his vision cleared, he was able to see the faces of the Hokage and the Counselors as well. "What happened to me?"

Minato smiled meekly at him. "You fainted?"

"Don't coddle the boy, Namikaze." Danzou leaned over his head with an unsettling look in his dark eyes. "You are suffering from the unexpected reintroduction of your chakra into your system, boy." Now a disturbing smile graced the bandaged man's lips. "There aren't many alive who can break through a chakra seal...let alone two...and fewer still that manage to survive it."

"Danzou...step back!" The Hokage's voice held an edge of command that Kakashi's couldn't remember ever hearing before and he wondered just what the hell was going on.

The Counselor scowled as he did what was demanded of him, and Kakashi felt the supportive arm of Minato-sensei slide behind his back and help him into a sitting position. He couldn't keep the groan from slipping out of his lips when a wave of dizziness threatened to steal his consciousness again, and he was somewhat surprised when the Hokage actually came to him and gently took his face in his hands.

"Kakashi, do you understand what happened to you?"

Kakashi closed his eyes against the piercing gaze of the Hokage, and the splitting headache that was growing by the second. He quickly puzzled through what he'd heard and sighed. "Yes, Lord Hokage. I broke the ANBU seals on my chakra and am suffering from its backlash."

"And do you know how you did that, Kakashi?" The concern in the older man's voice was plain.

He blinked opened his eyes and shrugged. "Not really, Lord Hokage."

"We should study the boy. Make him do it again." Danzou's voice held an edge to it that caused a shiver the run up Kakashi's spine.

Minato-sensei's arm tightened around Kakashi's shoulders. "Leave him alone! He's already told you he isn't sure how he did it. And you're the one who pointed out that most shinobi don't survive such a thing. Why the hell would you ask him to do it again when you'd be risking his life!"

Kakashi had never heard his sensei speak in such a manner to the Counselors before, and by the level of killing intent rolling off the bandaged Counselor, he doubted Minato had _ever_ done it. The Hokage finally released his grip on Kakashi's face and stood up to face Danzou directly.

"This circumstance does not change my initial ruling, Danzou. Kakashi will join Minato's team until further notice. _No one_ is to interfere with this decision."

Kakashi felt the unspoken threat behind the Hokage's words and noticed the dangerous fire behind Danzou's gaze as he faced them. Minato leaned toward him. "Let's get you up and out of here, Kakashi. After all, you still have your teammates to meet."

Kakashi didn't have the energy to argue with the man and allowed himself to be pulled back up to standing without a fuss. The movement was harder than he'd expected, but he pushed down the unsettling dizziness and managed to stay on his feet once Minato-sensei removed his supportive arm. He took his time bowing respectfully to the Hokage before he and his sensei moved out of the office. They hadn't quite closed the door when they could hear the angry voices of the Counselors turned toward the Hokage. Something told Kakashi that this wasn't going to be the last time he would be on Danzou's radar...and that fact alone made him think that perhaps having a team at his back might not be a bad thing after all.

* * *

Minato watched Kakashi carefully as they walked slowly to the spot he'd chosen to have him meet his new teammates. The boy hadn't said a single word since they'd left the Hokage's office and that silence was starting wear on Minato's nerves until he couldn't stand it any longer.

"Kakashi...hold up a minute."

The silver-haired boy stumbled to a stop...showing in that single lack of grace that his body was not quite over his experience in the Hokage's Tower. "Can't we just get this over, Sensei?"

Minato frowned at the boy. "No, Kakashi, we can't...not until we get a few things out of the way."

He watched Kakashi roll his eyes and slip his hands into his pockets. "Fine."

Minato sighed and was about to start when he caught a green blur out of the corner of his eye. "Shit!"

That was the only warning his young charge received before the spandex-clad boy slid to a stop by running straight into Kakashi...knocking the exhausted boy off his feet and onto his back with a resounding thud. A low growl was heard beneath the sprawling limbs of green before Minato watched the dark-haired boy pushed unceremoniously off of Kakashi.

"Dammit, Gai...learn how to stop, already!" Surprisingly, that was the only repercussion of the encounter given by the chunin.

For his part, Gai rolled to his feet and struck a pose with one hand perched on his hip while the other held a thumb straight up to the sky. The boy's teeth sparkled in a most disturbing way, and Minato would have sworn a rainbow sprang to life behind the kid.

"I accept that most worthy challenge, my Eternal Rival! If I slide into you again without stopping properly, I promise to crawl around the boundaries of Konoha on my knees two-hundred times...BACKWARDS!"

Minato waved his hands toward the strange boy. "That's not really necessary Gai..."

Kakashi pushed himself up into a sitting position and sighed. "Don't waste your breath, Sensei. Once Gai gets a challenge set in his mind it would take a miracle to have him let it go."

Gai continued to smile and then sat down on the ground in front of Kakashi. "You always are so wise, my Eternal Rival. Where do you learn all of it?"

Minato marveled at how calm Kakashi was with the hyperactive child as he watched one hand run through silver locks in an effort to remove a stray stick from his unexpected trip along the ground. "Gai, I doubt that's why you saw fit to stop us. What's on your mind?"

A faint blush covered Gai's cheeks. "Once again you can see through my attempts to hide my true purposes, Kakashi."

"Right...whatever."

Gai looked up toward Minato and then leaned in closer to Kakashi, holding his hand as though he was about to whisper the secrets of life. Instead...the boy's volume was actually loud enough that Minato doubted if anyone in the Village wasn't able to hear every word.

"Kakashi! I have finally found the means of becoming fast enough to spar with you! I can't wait to show you how much quicker I've gotten! Can we spar today..._please_!"

Kakashi's eyes actually curled into twin crescents...which Minato knew, after spending as much time with the boy as he had, was the chunin's way of conferring a smile. "As much as I'd love to see what you've done to increase your speed Gai, I'm afraid I have some teammates to meet toady."

Gai's hand fell to his side in shock. "You've got teammates? Really?"

Minato stepped a bit closer and sat next to the two boys. "It's true Gai. That's actually where we were headed when you...umm...showed up."

Gai's eyes glistened with tears and his lower lip started to tremble. "But...but does this mean you won't train with me any more, Kakashi?"

Kakashi scratched at the back of his head for a bit before answering the boy, and Minato had the sneaking suspicion that he delayed his answer on purpose just to make the dark-haired boy squirm. "Mah, I don't know, Gai. After all...I've been told that my teammates will have to train with me exclusively from now on."

The comical look of utter despair on Gai's face nearly caused Minato to chuckle...but instead he pulled himself together and made a tactical move that he felt even the Hokage would appreciate. "To be fair, Kakashi, no one said you'd be training exclusively with your team...only that you'd never need to train alone again."

That wiped the smile off Kakashi's face. "What are you saying Sensei?"

Now Minato _did_ actually chuckle. "What I'm saying is that I will make _sure_ you always have some spare time to spend training with your Eternal Rival, Kakashi."

Gai jumped to his feet and flung his arms around Minato's neck so quickly that he was seriously concerned he might just lose his title of Flash if he wasn't careful. "Thank you so much, Minato-sensei! I will never be able to thank you enough!"

Minato carefully pulled himself out of the boy's surprisingly strong grip and resolutely ignored the death-glare coming from his silver-haired student. "No problem Gai. But, like Kakashi had said, we really do need to get going. You wouldn't want us to keep the rest of the team waiting too long, now would you?"

Gai raised his hands to his mouth. "Oh no, Sensei! I wouldn't dream of doing that!"

Kakashi slowly climbed to his feet...never breaking his glare. Minato placed one hand on the boy's shoulder and pushed him slightly to get him walking once more toward where he knew the others were waiting. "Good boy, Gai. You just keep working to get stronger and faster and before you know it you'll be a match for Kakashi. Meanwhile, I'll let you know when Kakashi's free to train with you."

Gai struck another pose worthy of a bad movie and waved to them enthusiastically as they walked away. Kakashi waited until they were quite a distance from the boy before he shoved his hands deep into his pockets and sighed. Minato looked down at the boy and smirked...until Kakashi spoke with a chuckle, that is.

"You do realize the little freak will be glued to your side from now on, right Sensei?"

Minato groaned at the image of the spandex-clad boy chasing him around for the rest of his life begging to train with Kakashi. Why was it, that no matter what situation the two of them faced together, Kakashi was always the one to win in the end. Before he could worry too much about his bad luck, Minato spied the stairs leading up to Training Field One-A and a slow smile crossed his face. He knew Kakashi was probably expecting kids his own age to make up his team...but he couldn't wait to see the boy's face when Kakashi met the two shinobi he and the Hokage had hand-picked for this team. They were just seven-hundred and thirty six steps away from the beginning of a new chapter in his and Kakashi's lives.

Minato smiled to himself and moved to join Kakashi on the staircase. He allowed the silver-haired chunin to set the pace, and it wasn't long before Minato realized that at the slower than normal speed Kakashi was currently taking the steps, it was going to be dark long before they made it to the top. Of course, he certainly wasn't going to let that little wrinkle get in the way. He quickly reached out and wrapped his arm around Kakashi's shoulder and initiated his transport jutsu before the boy had a chance to shake him loose.

Unfortunately, his brilliant plan forgot to take one rather important fact into account...Kakashi's chakra system was still rather sensitive after his experience in the Hokage's office. So the very first impression the other members of Team Minato had of their much younger teammate was of him passing out cold at their feet. Minato smiled weakly at them and bent to the task of waking the boy up. So much for making a good first impression.


	7. Teamwork

Chapter 7

Teamwork

"What's wrong, Hatake? Are you gonna faint again?"

Kakashi glared up at where Tsume Inuzuka was standing with one hand on her hip and the other on the head of her wolf-companion, Kuromaru. Tsume's shaggy, dark brown hair was held off her face by her Konoha headband, and it allowed Kakashi full view of the bright red clan markings on her cheeks. Her eyes were showing the telltale signs of amusement and, for the twentieth time that day, Kakashi had to fight down the urge to kick that smirk off her face.

A low chuckle from the gray and white wolf did nothing to help him lose that urge either. "Maybe the pup needs rest."

Kakashi frowned and pushed himself up into a sitting position. "I don't need rest...and stop calling me a pup!"

The wolf tipped his head to the side and snorted at him. "Then stop acting the part."

Before Kakashi could reply to the gruff beast's comment, his other teammate offered him a hand up off the ground. "If you aren't going to pass out, Kid, then let's get back to sparring."

Keikan Hagane stood slightly taller than Tsume, and his dark eyes held a spark of confidence in them that Kakashi could only wish that he could copy. The older boy had the bulkier frame that Kakashi doubted he'd ever have, and it was quite obvious in how Tsume acted around the guy that he would never be short on company.

Kakashi let a soft sigh escape through his masked lips and accepted the older boy's hand. Four months had passed by since Kakashi's unfortunate first impression with his new teammates, and they had yet to let him forget it. What made it even worse though, was the fact that the fainting incident at Training Field One-A had only been the first of several more such moments.

Since that day in the Hokage's office when he had broken the ANBU seals, Kakashi was having a bit of trouble in sensing when his chakra levels were running dangerously low. Because of this, he tended to go from all out ass-kicker to flat-on-his-face unconscious in the blink of an eye. Still, it had been over two weeks since his last miscalculation, so he felt his teammates' comments today were more than a bit unnecessary.

At first, when Kakashi was introduced to the two chunin, he'd felt more than a bit intimidated – although he had refused to let it show. Both of them had been towering over him when he'd regained consciousness that day, and it was with more than a bit of surprise that he realized they were more than ten years _older_ than him. He'd thought for sure that the Hokage and Minato-sensei would have forced him to team up with shinobi closer to his age, so to see that they matched him based on skill made him think the adjustment to team-life might not be so bad after all. Of course, that hope had disappeared with the first words out of both teens mouths.

Keikan scratched his chin and looked toward Minato-sensei. "Are you babysitting your little brother, Sensei?"

Before Kakashi had a chance to do more than scowl, Tsume squatted next to him and ruffled Kakashi's hair. "Nah, Keikan. This must be the new chew-toy Sensei promised to get for Kuromaru."

Kakashi had pushed the girl's hand away with a huff. "I'm not _anyone's_ chew-toy!"

That was when Kuromaru stuck his nose into the scene. "The pup's right. He's not big enough to be a chew-toy, Tsume."

If Tsume had expected him to be surprised or frightened by the fact he was face to muzzle with a talking wolf, she was sadly mistaken. After all, he'd grown up surrounded by such creatures...considering he used to help keep his father's summoned pack clean and fed. Instead, Kakashi stretched one hand out and fearlessly scratched behind the beast's ear while turning his face to glare up at Minato-sensei.

"Okay, I've met them Sensei. Can I go home and get some sleep already?"

That meeting had pretty much set the tone for the newly formed Team Minato. Tsume would treat Kakashi like a baby, Keikan would treat him like the unwanted little brother, and Kuromaru would insult Kakashi while still expecting to be scratched behind the ear whenever he wanted it. All the while, Minato-sensei tried to keep Kakashi from killing them all.

Still...it turned out that Minato-sensei and the Old Man _had_ been right about one thing. Kakashi no longer had to train alone...regardless of when the urge hit him. After the first month he found he could actually fall asleep nearly every night without fear of the nightmares that used to ambush him once he'd closed his eyes. He'd crawl into bed exhausted to his core, and would sleep undisturbed until the following morning. And it looked like today's sparring match was headed toward another dreamless night as well.

Kakashi and Keikan took defensive stances, and were just about to continue their match, when their Sensei appeared right in between them. Kakashi smirked behind his mask at the fact Keikan would still be startled when the Yellow Flash popped in, being something that he had gotten used to over the past three years with the eccentric jonin as his sensei. Kakashi stood up straight and shoved his hands into his pockets before Keikan even finished registering it was their sensei standing between them.

"Gather round, Team! We've just been given a mission!" The enthusiasm Minato-sensei exuded was met with groans from all three of the chunin.

Kakashi sighed. "Great...whose dogs need walking this time, Sensei?"

The other two chunin chuckled. After all, it seemed the team was doomed to perform B and C ranked missions for no other reason than their youngest member was only seven years old. Never mind the fact that Kakashi was already more skilled than most of the chunin out there.

Minato-sensei spun on his heel until he was face to face with Kakashi. He was sporting a toothy grin as he held up the mission scroll so that the seal marking it as an A-ranked mission was plain to see. Kakashi's eyes went wide even before the words came out of Minato-sensei's mouth.

"No dogs this time around, Kakashi. We've been assigned an infiltration and retrieval mission into the village of Shitajiki on the outskirts of Iwa."

Tsume and Kuromaru moved closer. "Shitajiki? Isn't that supposed to be pretty dangerous right about now?"

Minato chuckled and scratched at the back of his head. "Well, if it wasn't dangerous, I doubt it would be an A-ranked mission, Tsume."

Keikan frowned. "What other teams are going with us?"

When Kakashi saw Minato-sensei's hand tighten ever-so-slightly on the mission scroll, he knew there was more to this mission than the blond-haired jonin was letting on. "Just us, Keikan. At least at first. Any more than the four of us would draw suspicion."

Now it was Tsume's turn to frown. "And the four of us won't draw suspicion? Really, Sensei. You and Kakashi on your own are pretty memorable, but add in me and Kuromaru, and you'd have to be blind to miss us!"

"Hey, what about me?" Keikan actually sounded put out by being left out of Tsume's tirade.

Kakashi noticed a light blush actually coloring Tsume's cheeks as she coyly answered the question. "Honestly, Keikan, although no one in their right mind would _ever_ forget seeing you...you are the only one who doesn't have a truly memorable feature. Sensei has his bright blond hair, Kakashi has his silver hair and penchant for masks, and I have these less-than-beautiful markings to contend with."

Keikan frowned. "Tsume, I think your clan markings are perfect on you. Besides, every single thing you mentioned can be altered in one way or another to let us _all_ blend in. Right, Sensei?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes as Tsume's cheeks almost matched the hue of her clan markings. He turned his attention to where Minato-sensei was taking a seat on the ground and motioning for all of them to join him. Once the team was seated, the jonin broke the scroll's seal and spread it out between them before addressing them all.

"I'm glad to see you are looking beyond the obvious for this mission, Keikan. You're definitely going to need to keep that up for this to be successful." Minato-sensei pointed to where the details of the mission were laid out. "We're going to be headed into a part of Iwa that has already been confirmed as a stronghold for our enemy, so everything we do will need to be above standard, am I clear?"

All three of them nodded their heads and responded as one. "Yes sir!"

"Okay – so let's go over the details until each one of you is certain you've gotten your roles down."

* * *

Gai watched Kakashi and the two Giants run through a series of exercises that made him sweat just _watching_ them. He shifted his position in the tree branch he was perched on and wondered how he was _ever_ going to catch up with his Eternal Rival. After all, he hadn't even managed to pass the final tests from the Academy yet...even though everyone else in his class had. And _Kakashi_ had already been a _chunin_ for almost two years!

Gai sighed and pulled out the notepad he'd taken to carrying with him. He found it very helpful to jot down all sorts of things. Yesterday he used it to list out all the ways he could think of to train using just his left toe...and it had filled up two whole pages! So today he decided to use it to list all the ways Kakashi Hatake was ahead of him as a shinobi. After all...only by identifying his weaknesses would he be able to correct them...or at least that's what his Academy Sensei had told him.

So here he was, on his weekend, watching the very person he wanted to be like more than anything in the world. Gai flipped the page to add some more notes and gasped...he'd already filled the entire notepad! And it had only been one hour!

Gai pulled his backpack off his shoulders and rifled through it, hoping against hope that he just might have _something_ in there to continue his most worthy note taking. But there was nothing in the pack except a dozen really heavy stones. He frowned. Why, oh why did he pick today to work on his Secret-Ox Method for increasing his speed?

He was about to come up with the appropriate punishment for not being prepared when he felt a finger tapping him on the shoulder from behind. Without thinking, Gai performed his version of Kakashi Hatake's patented 'Spin and Grab', only to find his hand intercepted mid-grab by the very person who inspired the move!

"Kakashi! How did you manage to foil your own technique?"

The silver-haired boy stared at him for almost a full minute before speaking. "You shouldn't be here, Gai."

Gai blinked back at his Rival. "Why would you say such an awful thing?"

He saw Kakashi roll his eyes as he let go of Gai's wrist with a huff. "The markers were in place at the entrance to the Training Field to show this was supposed to be a _closed_ practice. Didn't you see them?"

Gai jumped up to standing and perched his hands on his hips. "Of _course_ I saw them! One would need to be blind to have missed them!"

Kakashi's eyebrows rose and Gai could have sworn he saw the lips behind the mask twitch. "I see. Okay, Gai...where exactly did you _see_ the markers?"

Gai bit his bottom lip for a moment before smiling wide. "Why, at the entrance to the Training Field of course!"

Kakashi folded his arms in front of him. "And where _exactly_ is that?"

Gai frowned and glanced around the Training Field. This wasn't the usual place he and Kakashi would spar. In fact, in had taken Gai nearly half the day to even _find_ the place. Still, it couldn't be that hard to figure out where the entrance was...right? He glanced around until he saw two really large tree stumps off to the side. He grinned and pointed in that direction.

"There! The entrance is there!"

Kakashi turned toward where Gai pointed and then the silver-haired boy chuckled at him. "Not bad Gai. Glad to see you're starting to pay attention. Now, if you had _really_ come in that way, you should have known not to come in here."

"But Kakashi...I haven't seen you _all week_...and I still haven't had the chance to show you that I've gotten _faster!_" He looked at Kakashi and hoped his Rival would understand how important this was to him.

Kakashi shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. "It's going to have to wait, Gai. Sensei doesn't want me wearing myself out before we leave tomorrow."

Gai's eyes went wide. "Wear yourself out? But...didn't all that sparring with those two Giants wear you out?"

Kakashi laughed at him. "Those weren't Giants, Gai. Those are my teammates. And what we were doing was practicing working together so we can be successful on our mission."

Gai sat heavily on the branch. "Oh...that's right. Minato-sensei told me you were going away for awhile."

The two were silent for a bit before Kakashi sighed and sat down next to him. "Gai, you can show me how fast you've gotten when I get back, okay?"

Gai turned to look straight into Kakashi's eyes. "Are you scared, Kakashi?"

"Why would I be scared, Gai? Have you really gotten that fast?"

Gai frowned at him. "Kakashi, I meant about the mission."

"It's not my first mission, you know."

Gai pulled his Rival into a hug. "But I don't want you to end up in the hospital again!"

Kakashi pushed free of Gai's grip. "Knock it off, Gai! We're shinobi! Try acting like one, and get a grip already."

Gai wiped desperately at the tears that had fallen from his eyes. "You...you think I'm a shinobi? Like you?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes before answering. "Gai, I think that if you keep putting as much into your training as you have been, it'll only be a matter of time before you graduate."

"Really? You really think so? But I'm at the bottom of the class in ninjutsu and genjutsu."

Kakashi jumped off the branch and landed lightly on his feet. "Gai...if you're at the bottom then the only place to go is up, right?"

With that, Kakashi lifted his fingers into a hand sign Gai remembered seeing him use back when they used to practice on top of the Big Heads, and disappeared in a swirl of leaves. Gai blinked back his tears once more and smiled to himself.

Kakashi thought he could be a shinobi! And that was good enough for him!

He'd make sure to double his efforts at the Academy while Kakashi was on his mission. No! He'd TRIPLE his efforts! There was no way he'd let his Eternal Rival be disappointed with him anymore!

* * *

It was bad enough that this was a long term mission into the heart of an enemy-held village, but Minato absolutely _hated_ the fact he wasn't in constant contact with his team. Tsume had hit the nail on the head when she had pointed out that he and Kakashi had become easy to notice in their own right. Because of this, the Hokage made it crystal clear that he was _not_ to be seen within ten blocks of his team at any time. Evidently he and Kakashi had made a name for themselves over the years, and as such, their enemies were on constant alert for the combination of people their ages.

In fact, when Minato recently took out one of the enemy, he'd found a copy of Iwa's Bingo Book on them and spent that night thumbing through it, curious to see what they said about him. It had come as more than a bit of a shock when he'd noticed a cross-reference on the page set aside for him that pointed to a new entry to the book. Minato had quickly flipped to the noted page and his eyes had gone wide when he recognized the new entry belonged to Kakashi! The fact he was White Fang's only son was marked prominently on the page, and that, in combination with his noted collaboration with The Yellow Flash meant he was labeled as a 'current and future threat to Iwa that should be eliminated on sight.'

To find the seven-year old in the book to begin with was a bit of a shock to the seasoned jonin, but to see the kid was already marked as 'eliminate on sight' was a bit chilling. It also meant that if any hint of Kakashi's identity slipped out, the team would be at more of a risk than he felt any of them were prepared for. Minato had to get in touch with his team and let them know about this latest wrinkle in the mission, before it was too late.

Pushing his growing fear aside, Minato concentrated on the mission plan, and where it meant the team would be by now. He could still remember the look of absolute shock on both Kakashi and Keikan's faces when they'd learned that the plan was for them to pose as a young family along with Tsume. The Inuzuka girl, meanwhile, looked like she'd just won the lottery. Keikan had tried everything in his power to point out the flaws in such a plan...most notably the fact he felt he and Tsume were far too young to be believable with a kid of Kakashi's age. Minato had simply laughed at the young man and promised him that Kakashi looked much younger once his mask was off, which in turn earned him the scathing glare of the youngest member of the team.

Sure enough, when Team Minato walked out of the gates of Konoha one short week later, even the gate guards had trouble recognizing them. Tsume's hair had been tamed into two long pigtails – thanks to a lengthening jutsu applied by her mother – and her trademark clan markings were no longer visible, having been covered with an ingenious combination of chakra-infused makeup that was guaranteed not to wash or smudge off for the duration of the half-year long mission. Keikan had trimmed his black hair until it was nearly as spiky as Kakashi's own hair, making it far more believable that the two were related. He'd also taken to walking with a noticeable limp, going so far as to drag his left leg, so that no one would question why such a young man hadn't joined any of the shinobi nations.

But it was Kakashi's transformation that took the cake. The seven-year old had dyed his silver hair dark enough that it matched Keikan's coloring exactly. He'd removed his mask, which in itself made him look closer to five than seven, and gone to the trouble to ingest a special food pill provided to him from the ANBU that managed to cause his skin tone to change into a light tan that was a shade between his two 'parents' in color. His normal dark clothing had been switched out for light tan shorts and a pale blue shirt, but what sealed the deal was when he opened his mouth to speak to the others and Minato had caught sight of the fact he was missing some of his teeth...although the new ones were already starting to come in.

The three members of Team Minato made the picture-perfect young family as they set out down the road toward their first checkpoint – and test for their new identities. If they couldn't fool another team of Konoha shinobi, there would be no way they'd be allowed anywhere near Shitajiki. Fortunately, they had passed the test with flying colors, and now they were already two months into the heart of the mission.

Everything had been going perfectly. Keikan and Tsume presented themselves at each checkpoint on the road to Shitajiki with the classic story of two love-struck teens who had been shamed when she had gotten pregnant by someone her father didn't approve of, and how the small family had been traveling from village to village over the past five years in an attempt to find someplace to call home so they could raise their son in peace. All their papers showed them to be from a tiny town on the far outskirts of Iwa – one known for such narrow views – and, anytime it looked like someone was going to poke a hole into their cover story, Kakashi would throw such a believable five-year old's tantrum that, at one point, the small family had been invited to stay with the Captain of the Guard's family just so they could let 'the little tyke' have a good night's sleep.

That, in turn, led to the family being admitted into Shitajiki with a personal recommendation from that same Captain, along with a referral for Keikan to find work in the local bookshop. Which was where Minato was hoping to run into at least one member of the team in order to pass along his warning.

He'd made sure to mask his own chakra, and managed to disguise his hair in the easiest method possible...he shaved his head...saving the need to hold a genjutsu in place. A patch over one eye, and an outfit that made him look more like a civilian than a shinobi, and he found he was able to blend in with the others in the marketplace rather easily as he made his way toward his destination. Kuromaru walked at his side, doing his best to look more dog-like than wolf-like, and the two did their best to stay unnoticeable.

He'd timed it so that he would be one of the last patrons to enter the bookshop, leaving Kuromaru waiting for him just outside the door. Minato looked out the front window of the store and was relieved when he saw Tsume heading toward the entry as well, with Kakashi's hand firmly in her own. They looked liked the picture-perfect young mother and her temperamental five-year old as they crossed the busy street. Maybe he was making more out of the Bingo Book entry than he needed to. Of course, the moment that thought crossed his mind, all hell just _had_ to break loose.

It started with a muffled shout from somewhere behind the two, which was quickly followed by not one, but _three_ large explosions from that same direction. Minato watched as Tsume and Kakashi ran the rest of the way toward the shop, just as two of the town's shinobi came running into the main street with their fingers pointing straight at them.

"Stop them! The little one just killed Lord Chikan!"

Instantly there were Iwa shinobi flooding into the street from every direction. It was only a matter of seconds before they all headed straight for the bookshop, and Minato knew there'd be no chance to talk their way out of this one. He could only hope that they had managed to obtain the mission's objective so they could just concentrate on getting the hell out of here already.

Tsume and Kakashi darted into the shop with Kuromaru hot on their heels, and Minato wasted no time in pulling them behind the nearest bookshelf. Tsume's reaction to his altered appearance was a moment of confusion, followed by recognition, but what scared Minato was Kakashi's reaction. The boy's eyes went as wide as saucers, and were filled with a fear that Minato had _never_ seen Kakashi show in all the time he'd worked with him. Minato reached out to grip Kakashi's shoulder and the boy actually flinched away from him.

Minato frowned, but knew he wouldn't have the time to figure out what the hell happened to the boy until he managed to get them all out of this place. That task, unfortunately, was beginning to look impossible as a large group of the Iwa shinobi were already stepping into the shop's entrance.

"Dammit, why can't my plans _ever_ just work?" Minato's muttered curse seemed to snap Kakashi out of whatever fog his mind had been in, and the boy blinked his eyes twice before staring at him with clear eyes.

"_Sensei_?" At Minato's nod, Kakashi let loose a sigh and shifted back into mission-mode. "I have the scroll we need, but I'm afraid our cover has been blown."

Minato knew there had to be quite the story behind those softly uttered words, but he also knew that now was not the time to debrief the boy. "So I noticed. Where's Keikan?"

Tsume looked over her shoulder toward the back of the shop. "He should be here. Didn't you see him when you came in the shop, Sensei?"

Minato frowned. "No, I didn't. Tsume, you and Kuromaru have three minutes to check the shop for him while Kakashi and I keep our guests busy. Got it?"

Tsume placed one hand on her wolf's neck in silent greeting. "Right! Try not to pass out, Kakashi!"

With that, the young Inuzuka and her companion moved toward the back of the shop, leaving Kakashi and Minato to block the enemy from advancing any farther into the front of the shop. He glanced over to where Kakashi was already pulling out weapons which he'd managed to squirrel away throughout the shop and he realized something must have clued the kids into a change in the mission parameters long before Minato's discovery of the Bingo Book entries. He thanked Kami for Kakashi's genius, and concentrated on forming the necessary hand signs to pull shards of earth up through the floor to prevent the enemy from advancing any further.

Of course, that tactic was short-lived, as the majority of those advancing on them were also adept at earth-style jutsu, but it kept them from knowing they were Leaf shinobi and provided Kakashi that extra moment he needed to activate the exploding tags which he had obviously had the foresight to scatter throughout the building as well. The two of them headed toward the back room of the shop under the cover of the screams, smoke, and fire the diversion had caused. If they were lucky, the mess would keep them confused enough to allow Minato and Kakashi the time to catch up with the rest of the team and get the hell out of here.

Of course, the moment they pushed open the door to the back room he knew all hopes of an easy escape were gone. Keikan was held in front of the owner of the shop, and showed the signs of extreme torture. The boy's face was bruised and swollen, and his leg looked as though it had been broken in more than one place, making Minato fear that the limp Keikan had been faking for all these months might actually be something he'd be stuck with for the rest of his life. A kunai was pressed against Keikan's neck, and there was already a thin trail of blood flowing down from its edge.

"Not another step, friend, or _this_ one gets to see the afterlife before the rest of you!" The tone of the words made it clear to Minato that this was definitely someone who knew their way around a kunai, at the very least. "I know you have the scroll, brat...so hand it over!"

Tsume and Kuromaru were crouched to the side, each looking as though they were more than ready to tear the man's throat out. Meanwhile, Kakashi's calm voice from next to him caught Minato's attention while he kept his gaze on Keikan and his captor.

"Sensei, they're coming."

Minato let a low growl out of his mouth. "Do it."

It was all he needed to say to know that Kakashi would understand the order. A moment later, and he felt the chakra buildup in the boy just before a wave of intense heat was released into the front room. It was followed almost immediately by more screams, and the sound of the upper portions of the book shop tumbling down to block the entrance to the back room. But it was the way that Kakashi was gasping for breath at his side that concerned Minato more. Unfortunately, now was not the time to worry about that.

"_You little bastard!_ Those were my friends!" The curse from the man was followed by him drawing the blade across Keikan's neck as he pushed the chunin toward Minato and lunged straight toward where Kakashi stood still trying to catch his breath.

Minato had no choice but to catch Keikan, hopefully keeping the wound from being fatal, and leaving Kakashi to fend for himself for the moment. Meanwhile, Tsume was at his side in an instant, staring at Keikan's wound with something more than fear in her eyes. Minato pressed a cloth against Keikan's neck and placed Tsume's hand firmly onto it.

"Don't you _dare_ let the pressure off of this!" His words were met with a firm nod, and he left her side to try and keep his youngest chunin from meeting a similar fate.

In the short time it took for Minato to deposit Keikan into Tsume's care, the enemy had already crossed the distance to where Kakashi stood. He watched in horror as time seemed to slip into slow motion and the blade in the enemy's hand flashed in a deadly arc toward Kakashi's neck. For his part, the chunin was trying to bring his own weapon up to block, but it was obvious to Minato that Kakashi was exhausted and it wasn't going to be in time.

Then, just as quickly as time went into slow-motion, it returned to full speed when a gray and white blur leaped in between Kakashi and his attacker. Howls ripped through the air – screams followed – blood flew – all before Minato even had a chance to take one step forward. But far worse than the sounds of pain and chaos was the dead silence that followed.

Minato headed toward the pile of tangled limbs, and fur, and felt the first true surge of panic that he had felt since that day when he had found Kakashi pinned under the weight of his dead father. Minato couldn't even see the small chunin right now, and that in itself made him fear Kuromaru's valiant effort had been too little, too late.

"Kakashi!" The heartfelt plea slipped through his lips before he had a chance to stop it.

"Kuromaru!" A similar plea came from where Tsume was still trying to keep Keikan from bleeding out.

Minato slid to a stop next to the pile of humans and animal, and he held his own kunai at the ready as he pulled the enemy off the top of the pile, prepared to kill the bastard for attacking his students in the first place. But there was no need...the man's throat had been ripped out by Kuromaru's attack.

Minato pushed the body to the floor and moved on to where Kuromaru lay panting heavily. The white fur that surrounded his muzzle and chest was soaked pink with blood, and any hopes that it had only been from the enemy disappeared when Minato saw the savage gash that made a path through the noble beast's right eye socket.

"Dammit! Hang in there Kuromaru." Minato dug in his pack until he found another field dressing.

"Hold up, Sensei." The wolf's voice nearly rattled in his chest. "My wound can wait until you check the pup. I think I broke him when I landed...but...I can't seem to get up on my own."

Minato pushed down his growing fear for Kakashi, and gently infused enough chakra into a rudimentary healing jutsu so he could at least seal off the blood flow from the wolf's wound. "Alright, Kuromaru. Let's get you moved."

With a bit of chakra to increase his ability to lift Kuromaru's injured body, Minato removed him from the remaining member of Team Minato. Kakashi was unconscious and, just as Kuromaru feared, the boy did indeed seem broken...especially with the way his leg was currently laying. He quickly pressed his fingers to the juncture of the boy's neck until he found his pulse-point, and he sighed in relief at the steady beat under his touch.

"Sensei! I can sense some pretty heavy-duty chakra coming from the other side of the fire!" Tsume's voice only showed a shadow of the distress it held before she knew if Kuromaru lived or not.

Minato took quick stock of what options he might have to keep the mission from ending then and there. He and Tsume could move, but with Kuromaru, Keikan _and_ Kakashi out of commission his options were very limited. Their _only_ real option at this point was retreat...but with no back exit to the building, and the enemy pushing forward toward them, the methods of that retreat were disappearing one by one. Hell, even if he made them an exit in that back wall, he was ninety percent sure the whole place was surrounded by now.

"Sensei? What should we do?"

Minato knew Tsume was looking to him for strength in the middle of this nightmare, just as Minato knew he couldn't let her down. "Tsume, can you manage to keep the pressure on Keikan's neck wound if you stand yourselves up?"

He watched her glance tenderly into Keikan's face before turning back to him with a determined look in her eyes. "Yes, Sensei!"

"Good. You do that and wait right there for me, okay?"

She nodded and proceeded to do as he asked. Meanwhile, Minato's attention was brought back to Kuromaru. "You should leave me behind, Minato. Save the pups."

Minato frowned at the wolf. "I don't make a habit of leaving _any_ of my teammates behind, Kuromaru. You should know that by now."

That being said, Minato turned to where Kakashi still lay. The boy looked so fragile and innocent...much more like the five-year old he was pretending to be than the deadly chunin that Minato knew he was. He bent over and gently lifted the boy into his arms before turning back to Kuromaru and settling Kakashi against the wolf's side. Kuromaru said nothing, but Minato couldn't hold back a small smile when he watched the wolf turn his head to lick the side of the boy's face before curling around him protectively, even though he was more severely injured than the chunin was.

Minato moved over to where Tsume held the unresponsive Keikan in her grip. "Let's bring him over to where the others are, Tsume. Can you do that?"

He noticed her bite her lower lip before nodding once. Between the two of them, they managed to get Keikan over to Kuromaru's side and secure a compression bandage against the young man's wound so Tsume would be able to use her hands if needed.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do, Tsume. I've already got an area set up for us to retreat to, but I wasn't expecting to need to transport _all_ of us all at once. So I'm probably not going to be in any shape to protect us once we get there."

Tsume frowned at him. "Will you actually survive transporting us, Sensei?"

"Hey! I actually have only used a very small amount of my chakra up to this point...so I'm pretty sure I'll be okay after the transport." He scratched at the back of his shaved head. "Well...at least in theory I should be okay."

The sound of voices just outside the room reminded Minato that time was short. "We can argue over this once we're safe, alright Tsume? Now hold on to the others tightly. And make sure you check the bandages on the others once we get to safety, okay?"

The young woman's expression grew serious as she pulled a kunai out of her skirt. "You do your part, Sensei, and I'll keep us safe until you wake up. You can count on me!"

He smiled and closed his eyes in concentration to gather up the needed quantity of chakra and channeled it into the hand-signs of the latest variation of his body-flicker technique. Up to this point, he'd only moved two bodies – himself included – so he was entering uncharted territory with this one. Thankfully, he had the foresight to plant some of his transport seals at his destination, so the risk of popping in at the wrong location was drastically reduced, but with this many people involved, even the best laid plans might not be enough.

Minato opened his eyes and took in the broken and beaten forms of his team before locking eyes with Tsume. The Inuzuka's gaze held that extra bit of confidence the jonin needed to push the last of his doubts aside. He smiled at her and finished the final hand sign before leaning forward to wrap them all within his arms. He heard the shouts and curses from the enemies as they burst into the room, just as the jutsu took hold.

In the blink of an eye, he felt the world tilt out from under him. The sensation was something he'd grown used to over the years, but this particular time that feeling was intensified by the quantity of chakra he'd used, and by the time it was over he found he was glad two-fifths of his team was unconscious.

The jutsu ended abruptly, and Minato felt himself lurching to the side. Tsume's firm grip on his shoulders kept him from hitting the ground.

"We're safe, Sensei. You just rest now."

Minato smiled up at Tsume and then let his eyes flutter shut as chakra depletion took hold of him. His last conscious thought was that he'd never let the team make fun of Kakashi for fainting again.


	8. In Plain Sight

Chapter 8

In Plain Sight

Minato forced his eyes open and was glad to see he _wasn't_ in the hands of the enemy. Instead, he was inside the small house on the outskirts of Shitajiki where he'd set his transport seals in place. He let a small sigh of relief through his lips and was almost immediately approached by one very ragged-looking Tsume Inuzuka. The younger woman looked as though she hadn't slept in days, and Minato had a feeling he was about to get some bad news.

"Sensei, it's about time you woke up."

Minato frowned and pushed himself up to sitting with a small groan. "How long have I been out of it, Tsume?"

The Inuzuka chunin blinked her eyes. "A day and a half, Sensei."

"Damn. I didn't think I'd be out that long." He glanced around the dimly lit space. "How are the others?"

Tsume ran one hand through her hair and let loose a ragged sigh. "I bandaged Kuromaru's eye the best I could – but it's too far gone to fix. I don't think even my Mom can do anything for him."

Minato saw her glance over at where her other two teammates were lying on the ground. "Kakashi still hasn't woken up, and Keikan..." Her voice broke, and it took a moment for her to continue. "I don't think Keikan is going to make it, Sensei."

"Dammit." Minato pushed back against his growing sorrow and concentrated on the mission parameters. "What about the scroll, Tsume?"

She dipped her hand into one of her pouches and pulled out a small scroll. It looked so unassuming that Minato was tempted to think Kakashi had grabbed the wrong one, but he knew better than that. One thing Kakashi would _never_ do was mess up the mission objectives. Minato took the small document from Tsume and tucked it safely away in the inner pocket of his shirt.

"Okay, with that accomplished, we can concentrate on getting us back home."

Tsume frowned. "Short of you using more transport jutsu, Sensei, I don't know how we're gonna manage it without getting caught. You and I are the only ones who can walk currently."

Minato scratched at his head, and was somewhat startled when his fingers met his bald scalp instead of his hair. A moment later and the memories of him shaving his head filled in the gaps. "Let me think about that one for a minute Tsume, before we give up, okay?"

Minato crossed over to take a closer look at the three injured members of his team. He frowned when his eyes landed on Keikan, and he knew that there was a very good chance that Tsume's assessment of the young man's dire state wasn't an exaggeration. His skin was nearly as pale as Kakashi's normally was, and the bandages wrapping his neck wound were dark from his spilled blood. The unnatural angle of his leg worried Minato as well.

He shifted his gaze to where Kakashi was laying against Kuromaru – just as he had been a day and a half ago. Minato chuckled when he noticed the eye patch that he'd worn for his disguise had been placed over the wolf's missing eye. He walked over and sat beside them before lifting one hand up to scratch behind Kuromaru's ear.

"I'm sorry this mission cost you an eye, my friend. But if it's any consolation, I think the patch suits you."

The wolf leaned into Minato's fingers. "I'll survive, Sensei." The beast's head dipped down toward where Kakashi was fitfully sleeping. "I'm more worried for the pup."

Minato frowned. "Why? He's had broken bones before, Kuromaru. He bounces back every time."

The wolf sniffed at Kakashi's chest. "Not the bones...but the blood."

Now Minato felt the first trailings of fear enter him. The blood? What was the wolf talking about? Willing his hands to remain steady, Minato reached out to lift Kakashi's shirt up to expose his stomach and the farther he lifted the material, the wider his eyes grew. All up and down the young boy's chest were a scattering of wounds that varied in width and depth making it unclear what might have caused the damage. He wrinkled his nose at the distinct smell of infection already setting into several of the deeper wounds. In addition, the skin that wasn't disfigured with cuts was turning a deep purple from bruising.

He lifted his head back up to lock gazes with the wolf. "Please tell me infection is the worst of it, Kuromaru."

A low whimper proceeded the wolf's words. "It is not."

Minato let out a harsh breath. "Poison."

Tsume sat down beside him. "What do we do now?"

Minato closed his eyes for a moment, and for the first time since he'd taken up the mantle of Sensei, he felt completely out of his element. Still, he needed to keep his head during this crisis and not let his fear for Kakashi keep him from thinking this through logically. He needed to balance every member of the team in his decision. He took a calming breath and made up his mind.

Minato opened his eyes and his hand moved to the pouch that sat on his left hip. He pulled out something every field shinobi worth their salt was quite familiar with...a syringe full of general antidote. Normally he would pinch the skin on the recipient's stomach to use as the injection site, but in Kakashi's case, he was so scrawny that there wasn't any give in the boy's skin. Minato bit at his lower lip before deciding that the best injection site left would be Kakashi's upper thigh.

That decision made, he pulled Kakashi's shorts higher up until he exposed a slightly less emaciated portion of skin. He scowled at just how skinny the kid had gotten, and promised himself to make sure Kakashi ate more once they returned to Konoha. That thought firmly in place, Minato pushed the tip of the needle into the boy's skin and pushed the plunger all the way in. Through it all, Kakashi barely moved.

Once the antidote was administered, Minato turned his attention back toward Tsume. "How the hell did Kakashi get poisoned? And what's up with all those injuries?"

Tsume glared at him. "I didn't know about it until Kuromaru told you. Don't you think I would have mentioned it otherwise?"

Minato rubbed a hand across his forehead, trying to push back his growing headache. "I'm sorry Tsume. I know you wouldn't hide something like that. What do you think happened to him?"

Tsume ran her hands through her thick hair and sighed. "He was supposed to infiltrate Lord Chikan's study and grab the scroll. That's where all our intel said the damn thing was. I can only assume it didn't go as planned considering I had to pull his ass outta there after he sent word for an extraction. I guess I didn't get him outta there soon enough."

Minato let loose a deep breath. "Let's not worry about that right now, Tsume. Let's concentrate on getting us home."

Kuromaru's low voice caught their attention. "You should take her Mate back first. We'll protect the pup until you come back."

Minato's eyes shot wide open before he turned back to face a blushing Tsume. "_Mate?_"

Tsume growled at him. "What's so hard to believe about it, Sensei? We're both more than old enough, you know. Hell, you're not more than a couple of years older than we are!"

"That's not the point, Tsume, and you know it! You were on a mission!"

"I know that! It's what started things in the first place!" Tsume crossed her arms in front on her. "The owner of the book shop let us stay in the rooms over the shop. But he had this habit of popping in at all hours of the day and night to check on how we were doing."

She turned away from Minato slightly. "After he caught Keikan sleeping on the floor one time too many, he counseled us on how to make our 'marriage' work, and took Kakashi away for the weekend."

Minato sighed. "I can understand that much, Tsume, but that didn't mean you had to go all the way."

"We didn't mean to. It just..._happened_."

It was probably a good thing he'd shaved his head, because Minato had the sneaking suspicion he would be tugging his hair out at the roots at this point. "Tsume, we aren't finished with this discussion, but I really need to get moving if Keikan is to have any chance. Do you understand?"

Tsume bit at her lower lip. "Yes, Sensei."

Minato took one last look toward Kakashi and reached into his pouch to pull out two more syringes. He handed these to Tsume. "Wait a half and hour and give him the one with the clear liquid in it. Two hours after that, follow up with the one with blue liquid. Okay?"

Tsume furrowed her brow. "Clear, then blue...gotcha."

Minato carefully pulled Keikan up onto his back and made sure the chunin was secure before turning back for one last look at the rest of Team Minato. With luck, the additional dose of antidote and the antibiotics he was having Tsume give to Kakashi would be enough to keep the kid more or less stable until he got back. And at least he knew Tsume and Kuromaru would do everything in their power to keep Kakashi from any additional harm. It would have to be enough for now.

"Sensei?" Tsume's voice held a trace of uncertainty in it. "Will Keikan be okay?"

Minato sighed. "He's got the Will of Fire in him, Tsume. Don't count him out yet."

She gave him a small smile. "Hurry back, Minato-sensei."

He nodded once and headed for the door. "I'll be back before you know it!"

* * *

Gai stood in front of the door to Kakashi's apartment and frowned. The notes he had left for his Eternal Rival – all twenty-eight of them – were still taped to the door, and Gai was starting to wonder just when his friend would be returning from his mission. He sighed and scratched at the back of his head. He had set aside two hours, thirty-seven minutes, and twenty-three seconds from his training regiment just so he could catch up with Kakashi and show him the one thing he was proudest of...his Leaf Headband. After all, without the keen words of encouragement he had received from the silver-haired chunin the last time the spoke, Gai might not have worked so hard to finally succeed at the required genjutsu and ninjutsu needed to graduate from the Academy.

Gai removed his backpack with a flourish and pulled out his notebook and a pen. He quickly scrawled his message out to his Eternal Rival explaining where he would be training and challenging him to a spar now that he was one of Konoha's Protectors. Once done, Gai tore the page out, placed his notebook and pen away, and pulled out his tape dispenser. He added the latest note to the door, placed his tape back into the pack, and stepped back to get a clear view of what he'd done. Gai placed his fists on his hips and smiled with satisfaction over his most brilliant way of letting Kakashi know he was here. He took one more step backward and was surprised when he backed into what felt like a person. Perhaps it was Kakashi returning home after his long mission!

Gai spun around, ready to greet his Eternal Rival in a most youthful way, but all he saw was the green shinobi vest of a much taller person. Gai took a step back and tipped his head up to see who this was and he frowned. Before him stood a tall man with barely a hint of hair on his head, but Gai knew he had seen someone with those bright blue eyes before.

The man frowned at him. "Gai, why are you here?"

That voice! He definitely knew that voice! "Minato-sensei...what did you do to your _head!_ All of your glorious hair is _gone!_"

A faint blush colored the jonin's cheeks and he knelt in front of Gai. "I had to do it for the mission I was on, Gai. Sometimes we have to change our appearance without using a genjutsu."

"Oh, right! The mission! But now you are home, which means my Eternal Rival is home too!" Gai peeked around the side of Minato-sensei so he could see if Kakashi was hiding behind him. "So where is he, hmm?"

The frown returned to Minato-sensei's face. "He's not here, Gai."

Gai furrowed his brow. "Did he get put in the Hospital again, Sensei?"

"Not yet, Gai. But he will be once I go and get him back."

"Get him back? Where is he?"

"Ah, that's a long story, Gai. And long stories are best saved for when there is time to tell them."

Gai gasped and pulled his notebook out again. He furiously scribbled down Minato-sensei's 'Words of Wisdom.' "With such guidance from you, it's no wonder Kakashi has excelled. I cannot wait for him to return and share his adventures with me!"

Minato-sensei stood back up and stepped around him to enter Kakashi's home. Gai waited for the man to come back out – hoping to glean a bit more of his wisdom to guide him. But after two hours passed, Gai realized he would miss his next taijutsu session if he stayed any longer. With a dramatic sigh, he put his pen and notebook away again, and hefted his backpack over his shoulders before taking one last long look at the note-covered door. He would come back later to see if Minato-sensei needed any help.

* * *

Kakashi's dreams were filled with dark figures, sharp edges, groping fingers, and searing pain. He felt as though he was being turned inside out more than once, and found he wanted nothing more than to wake up in his quiet little apartment and find this entire mission had been nothing but a sick, twisted dream. Of course, if there was one constant in Kakashi's life, it was the fact that nothing _ever_ turned out the way he hoped. So when he forced his eyes open and was greeted with the sight of Tsume Inuzuka peering down at him with concern, he knew the dream had likely been reality.

That theory was proven when he tried to sit up and felt as though his skin was trying to crawl off his bones. A low groan escaped his lips and he felt the ground beneath him shift. It wasn't until Kuromaru's face came into view that he realized the moving floor was actually that great beast's side.

"Lie still, Pup."

Kakashi opened his mouth to speak and found his tongue felt thick and unresponsive. Tsume held her canteen up to his lips and slowly poured a trickle of water into his mouth. Kakashi tried to reach up to tip more in but she quickly frowned at him and pulled the canteen away from him.

"You know better than that, Kakashi. You've gotta take it slow after being unconscious for so long."

Kakashi glared at her, even though he knew she was right. He cleared his throat before attempting to push any more words out. "How long?"

Tsume frowned. "Four and a half days."

His eyes opened wide at that, and he tried again to sit up. This time Kuromaru's nose pushed him down.

"Sit still, Pup!" The words were followed by a warning growl.

"Fine!" Kakashi knew he was pouting, but at the moment he really didn't care. He glanced around from his limited viewpoint and frowned. "Where's Keikan and Minato-sensei?"

Tsume settled down next to him, offering another drink from her canteen. "Hopefully back in Konoha by now."

A feeling of dread crept into Kakashi. "He..._left_ us?"

Kuromaru nuzzled the side of Kakashi's neck. "Don't be stupid, Pup. He couldn't carry us all."

Tsume nodded her head in agreement with her wolf. "He'll be back, Kakashi. He promised."

Kakashi let out a sigh of relief and lifted one hand to scratch along Kuromaru's cheek. His fingers sank into the wolf's thick fur and the action gave him something to concentrate on other than the fear that kept trying to push its way back into his mind. It almost worked, until his fingertips encountered a thin cord amidst the fur. Kakashi twisted his head with a grunt until he could see what the cording was attached to.

When the simple black patch came into view, Kakashi felt a single moment of absolute dread sink into his heart as his mind supplied a detailed picture of the bastard who'd been the cause of the majority of the injuries he felt across his chest and back. He had to almost physically push that image away in order to keep the others from guessing just what had happened to him before Tsume had found him, fully dressed and sitting on the carcass of that very same man.

Focusing on the animal that now wore the patch, Kakashi's mind finally started to fill in the blanks for him. He remembered being in the back room of the book shop, and seeing the sharp blade of the enemy angling straight for him. His body was already feeling the effects of whatever poison that one-eyed bastard had laced his knife with, and he knew he wouldn't be able to move out of the way of that deadly steel. But, just as he was bracing himself to be hit by the weapon, a wall of fur jumped between them. Then he remembered feeling that fur wall crush down on top of him before the darkness pulled him under. He reached up once more – this time tracing the outline of the patch.

"That hit should have been mine."

Tsume snorted at him. "Don't be daft!"

Kuromaru's lips pulled back to reveal his lethal-looking sharp teeth. "You're part of the pack, Pup. Get used to it."

Even though he felt a warmth growing in the center of his chest, Kakashi tried his best to dissuade these two from making such a statement. "Don't I get a say in this?"

Both Tsume and Kuromaru smiled at him and responded in tandem. "Nope."

Before he could say anything else, there was the sound of footsteps approaching the only door into the small house. Kakashi tried once more to sit up, and was promptly pushed back down against Kuromaru's stomach.

"Don't even think about it kid. Stay put while I check it out." Tsume had pulled out a kunai and moved toward the door.

Meanwhile Kakashi stretched his limited chakra out to try and get some idea of how many of the enemy were about to break in. What he felt, however, made him relax against the wolf's side. "It's okay, Tsume. It's Sensei."

As though conjured by Kakashi's words, Minato-sensei appeared in the center of the room with a large grin and barely any hair on his head. "Miss me?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes at the comical sight. "What took you so long, Sensei?"

That wiped the smile off the famous Yellow-Flash's face rather effectively. Kakashi smirked when the jonin turned his attention toward where Tsume was already letting in the rest of the Konoha shinobi who had come along for the retrieval. Kakashi's smirk switched to a scowl when he recognized three of the shinobi were dressed in the outfits of the Medic-nin.

In a matter of seconds, those very shinobi fell upon him, and lifted him off of Kuromaru's side to lay him out on the wooden floor. Kakashi tried in vain to fend off the many hands pressing and touching him in a manner that made his heart race. He had to keep reminding himself that these were _not_ the enemy...that he wasn't in Lord Chikan's hands any longer. Still, when those probing fingers traced along his stomach on one of the deeper wounds, he couldn't hold back the low growl that sprang from his throat, or the wave of killing intent that rolled off his body.

The hands on him paused in their movements. A moment later, Kuromaru's voice reached Kakashi's ears. "You're safe now, Pup. _Settle down_."

As if wanting to reinforce her companion's words, Tsume moved so Kakashi could see that she was going to watch every move the Medic-nin made. Kakashi took a slow, steady breath and nodded to his teammate. She smirked back at him and signaled for the others to continue the exam. Kakashi knew there'd be awkward questions once they got back to Konoha, but for the moment he chose to ignore that fact. Instead he concentrated on what it might mean for him in the future, now that he had apparently been adopted into the Inuzuka pack.

* * *

Minato watched helplessly as his youngest student was tended to by some of the best Medic-nin in the Five Countries. The way Kakashi was reacting to their touches made it clear to Minato that Tsume didn't tell him all the details of what Kakashi had gone through to obtain that damned scroll. He glanced at the young Inuzuka and saw the fierce protective look she held while watching every move the Medic-nin made. Was this really the same young woman who wanted to feed Kakashi to Kuromaru as a chew-toy?

Minato shifted his gaze over to where the wolf was being tended to by two of the Inuzuka Clan's finest veterinarians and he saw a similar protective look in Kuromaru's remaining eye. He walked over to where Tsume's mother was working on the beast's wound and met Kuromaru's eye steadily. Minato had no idea what was going on, but it was quite obvious that whatever it was didn't include him. Not sure how to broach the subject with the wolf, Minato sighed and said the first thing that popped into his mind.

"I wanted to thank you, Kuromaru...for keeping them safe."

"They are my pack."

Those four simple words caused Kikotsu Inuzuka to stop what she was doing and pull Kuromaru's jaw around until the wolf was nose to nose with the current Leader of the Inuzuka Clan.

"_What_ did you just say, Pup?"

Minato had to hold in the urge to chuckle as the mighty wolf actually whimpered at Kikotsu's harshly whispered words. He imagined that if Kuromaru had been standing, his tail would be tucked between his legs. Surprisingly, it was Tsume who answered her mother's question.

"He said we are his pack, Mom. And he's right."

Kikotsu turned toward Tsume and narrowed her eyes, before she let go of Kuromaru's fur and walked to her daughter's side. The elder Inuzuka took in a deep breath and frowned. She then leaned in closer to her daughter, and continued to sniff at her as she circled Tsume completely. Once finished, she stood in front of Tsume and crossed her arms.

"So whose bitch are you?" Kikotsu turned a hard glare toward Minato and he swallowed deeply. "Not your Sensei. Please, Tsume, tell me it's not your _Sensei's_ whelp growing in you."

"_What!"_ Minato's jaw nearly dropped to the floor at the near accusation.

Tsume placed her hands on her hips and glared at her mother. "Of course not!"

Minato sighed in relief, but he quickly felt the tension in the room grow a bit thicker as Kikotsu's gaze fell on Kakashi's injured form. But Tsume cut that thought off before it could even fully form.

"Please, Mom...give me _some_ credit! That would be like mating with my baby brother!"

Surprisingly, Kikotsu snorted at that response. "You could do worse than mating a Hatake, girl."

Tsume rolled her eyes. "Honestly Mom, would you stop matchmaking already! His name is Keikan Hagane, and he's more than man enough for me."

Kikotsu glanced back toward Kuromaru. The wolf nodded once before answering the implied question. "He sacrificed himself to keep her and the Pup safe."

"So where is he, then? I'd like to meet the man who had the balls to knock my baby up."

Minato's head was spinning. Tsume was _pregnant?_ Hell, he'd only just managed to accept the fact they had slept together in the first place! Dammit – this was turning out to be one of the most out of control missions he'd ever been involved in. Still, Tsume needed to know how her teammate...no...her _mate_ was doing.

"About Keikan..." He felt the attention of every person in the room shift to him. "I'm sorry Tsume, but he's in critical condition back in Konoha. He lost a lot of blood before I could get him there, and Tsunade was still working on him when we left to return for you."

Tsume took the news surprisingly well, although Minato did notice her hand unconsciously moved to settle on her abdomen. He briefly wondered just how far along she was, but that line of thought was promptly shut down when a slight commotion broke out from where Kakashi was being worked on.

"What are you doing, Kakashi? You're in no shape to get up yet! We haven't neutralized all the poison yet!" The Medic-nin's voice held an edge of panic in it.

Kakashi pushed off their hands as they tried to keep him pinned to the floor, and Minato watched in mute shock as the boy who never admitted to forming ties with anyone walked over to Tsume's side and placed one shaky hand onto her shoulder.

"We should go back now. He needs to know, Tsume."

Tsume turned until she met the young boy's eyes, and smiled before reaching out and ruffling his spiky hair.

The Inuzuka Leader nodded once, and moved back to where her assistant was already finishing up with Kuromaru. Minato shook his head and watched the Medic-nin cautiously approach Kakashi and Tsume. Kakashi grudgingly agreed to let them finish treating him, while Tsume continued to watch them carefully. When he had the chance, Minato stepped up to Kakashi's side and held out what he'd gone to the young boy's apartment to fetch. Kakashi let loose a large sigh of contentment as he pulled his face mask into place.

Within half an hour the entire group was ready to head back to Konoha. Minato had no fear of their return trip this time, as he knew the Third Hokage had dispatched two ANBU cells to watch over them and ensure their safe return. Which left Minato with far too much time on his hands to think about just how little he'd actually managed to notice about his own team. Minato watched Tsume, Kakashi and Kuromaru as they stayed close to each other on the trip home, and wondered how the Third Hokage had ever thought he'd be any good at this. He just wasn't cut out to be the leader of any more than one student at a time.


	9. The Therapeutic Properties of Fur

Chapter 9

The Therapeutic Properties of Fur

Kakashi couldn't remember the last time he wasn't in pain, but he knew it would very likely be a long time before he could say he was pain-free again. After all, the medic-nin had flat out refused to use chakra to fully heal his severely broken leg. They had muttered some nonsense about growth-plates and how they didn't want to run the risk of interfering with his normal growth cycle. While the logical side of Kakashi's brain understood the medic-nin's concerns, the chunin absolutely hated the idea of sitting around healing when it was so obvious that Konoha was short of skilled shinobi. Just as it was obvious that Iwa's intentions to start a war with Konoha were growing stronger with each passing day.

To add insult to injury, Kakashi was given the 'choice' of recuperating in the Konoha Hospital, or under the watchful eyes of the Inuzuka Clan. He had tried to argue...saying he didn't need anyone to babysit him, but both Minato-sensei and the Third Hokage were quick to remind him of the numerous times he'd overdone it in the past when left to his own devices. So Kakashi had grudgingly agreed to stay at the Inuzuka Compound, refusing outright to set foot back into the Hospital unless they were going to heal his leg once and for all.

Which, of course, was why Kakashi was currently sitting in one of the practice yards within the Inuzuka Compound watching Tsume work with Kuromaru. They were trying to find the best ways to minimize the effects of the beast's newly acquired blind-spot. Kakashi was surprised at first by just how much the loss of the great beast's eye had altered the animal's normally smooth attacks. But, thinking it through logically, he had to admit it made perfect sense. Without one eye, Kuromaru not only had to adjust to a blind-spot that the enemy would likely try to exploit, but would also have his depth perception affected as well.

Kakashi cringed when a spasm ran through his healing leg and he shifted his position in an attempt to find a more comfortable spot. Unfortunately, the toe-to-hip cast currently encasing his leg made that pretty much an impossibility. He frowned at the plaster monstrosity that he felt had been deliberately designed to drive him insane as much as it was used to keep him from shifting the healing bones. After four failed attempts, Kakashi gave up and shifted his attention back toward Tsume and Kuromaru. He watched as the wolf missed a relatively easy jump to a low stump and cringed when the animal barely managed to land on his four feet.

Kakashi sighed and glanced back down to his cast. At least he hadn't lost an eye...that was something to be glad about. He doubted he'd ever adjust to such an injury. Hell, he wasn't even dealing with a broken leg all that well. A disturbing itch along the skin just above his casted knee caused a frown to settle on his face. Kakashi pulled out a senbon and slipped the thin metal needle carefully between the cast and his healing leg, but it didn't quite reach. He tried to push it down as far as he could in an attempt to reach the troublesome spot, and was concentrating so hard on the impossible task, that he had failed to hear someone approach him until they spoke...causing him to nearly lose his tenuous grip on the senbon.

"You aren't trying to remove that cast, are you, Kakashi?"

There was a trace of humor in the Third Hokage's voice that caused a scowl to settle onto Kakashi's features as he pulled out the unsuccessful senbon. "I would, Hokage, but the same seals that the medic-nin placed on the cast to keep me, or anyone else, from applying chakra to my injury also keeps me from being able to cut the damn thing off."

The older man's mouth slid into a frown. "You haven't been trying to break that seal, have you Kakashi?"

Kakashi let loose a frustrated sigh. "No, Lord Hokage. You ordered me not to. But I did do some research on it as I had nothing better to occupy the endless hours of my recuperation."

The Third Hokage chuckled at him. "Really Kakashi. Has it truly been so unbearable for you? After all, it hasn't even been a full day since you were casted, has it?"

Kakashi crossed his arms in front of him and met the man's gaze. "It's been twenty-seven hours, thirty-two minutes, and seventeen seconds."

The Hokage scratched at the back of his head. "Ah, well, that explains it. Perhaps I can provide you something that might just alleviate a bit of your boredom then, hmm?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes warily. The last time he had agreed to letting the Hokage find him something to 'alleviate his boredom,' he'd been tricked into spending a full week organizing the old man's mission records room. The Hokage must have known what he was thinking about, because a broad smile crossed the man's face and he chuckled a bit.

"Don't worry, Kakashi. The mission report files are still in fine shape after you fixed them the last time. No...instead, I have something here for you that should keep you occupied for quite some time. I think you might even recognize it."

Kakashi watched curiously as the Hokage reached into the folds of his robes and pulled out a scroll that, indeed, was quite familiar to him. His eyes went wide as the old man squatted in front of him and held out the ancient piece of rolled parchment that bore the Clan symbol of the Hatake on the thick red ribbon holding it closed. He stared at it and swallowed with a throat that was suddenly dry. The Hokage moved the scroll a little farther toward him.

"Go on, Kakashi. Take it. It's rightfully yours, after all."

Ever so slowly, Kakashi lifted one hand up to gently grip the ancient document. He hadn't seen it since two days before he'd left for the Chunin Exams...all those years ago. That had been the last time he'd seen his father summon his pack of nin-hounds. As the Hokage released his end of the scroll, Kakashi found himself thinking it felt lighter than he'd expected it to be. After all, this document had been handed down through the generations of Hatake since before the First Great Ninja War. It held the names and blood-signatures of every leader of his Clan, including his father.

Kakashi frowned and stared down at the document. "I shouldn't have this, Lord Hokage."

He heard a surprised sound from the older man's throat. "Why not, Kakashi? Aren't you the head of your Clan now?"

Kakashi closed his eyes and whispered into the space between them. "Lord Hokage, there can be no Head of a Clan when the Clan doesn't exist anymore."

He flinched slightly when he felt the man's hand settle on top of his head in what Kakashi figured was the Hokage's attempt to give him comfort. "Some day, Kakashi, you will meet someone that you will want to rebuild your Clan with. Until that day, you are listed in the Village Records as the current head of the Hatake Clan. And those records have been the first and last word in legal proceedings within Konoha for many, many generations. So, whether _you_ acknowledge your ranking or not, Kakashi Hatake, that scroll most certainly belongs in your hands."

Kakashi took a shuddering breath before lowering his head slightly under the Hokage's gentle touch. "Yes, Lord Hokage."

The hand was lifted from Kakashi's head, and he heard the older man settle on the ground next to him. "Now then, Kakashi. Do you know how to use the scroll?"

Kakashi opened his eyes and focused on the scroll while he answered his Hokage. "I need to add my blood to the seal on the outside of the scroll, and then perform the hand signs for the summoning jutsu. If the nin-hounds wish to honor the pact with my Clan, then they will send one of them here to witness the signing."

"That's correct Kakashi. Do you know the hand signs?"

"Yes sir. I learned them when I was three." Kakashi sighed. "_He_ said I didn't have enough chakra yet, but that I should continue to practice them until I could form them without thought."

"And have you kept up your work on the hand signs?" There was sadness in the older man's voice.

Kakashi glanced toward the Hokage. "I added them to my morning kata years ago."

The Hokage nodded once and pushed himself up off the ground. "Well then, Kakashi. You definitely have enough chakra now to complete the jutsu any time you're ready."

With that, the Hokage disappeared in a spiral of white smoke. But Kakashi barely paid it any attention, as he was too busy running his fingertips across the thick wax seal that held the blood of so many of the greatest of the Hatake Clan. Each generation's best had shed their blood on this very seal...even his own father.

Kakashi frowned as he tried to keep his mind from thinking of the man as a hero. After all, a hero wouldn't mess up such an important mission. A hero wouldn't have to kill themselves to save face. A hero wouldn't _ever_ think about leaving their only son alone in such a cruel world. No...Sakumo Hatake was definitely _not_ a hero.

But still, that man had been the one to teach Kakashi the very hand signs he needed to know for this jutsu. Kakashi sighed and glanced back up to where Tsume was working hard with Kuromaru. He saw the bond between them and knew, deep down, that he craved something just like it himself. Kakashi chewed on his lower lip and gazed back down at the scroll. He supposed it wouldn't hurt to try. After all, there was a very good chance he wouldn't even be accepted as master of the scroll, in which case he wouldn't have to waste any more thought on the blasted thing.

He thought back to his father's summoned pack. It had consisted of five of the most ferocious and deadly hounds Konoha had ever witnessed...even with the Inuzuka Clan in residence...and was known far and wide for its precision. The hounds themselves were closer to wolves than dogs, and Kakashi could remember how frightened others in the village had been anytime his father had walked through the market with the beasts at his side.

Of course, Kakashi had no such fear of the animals. He'd grown up having them around, and used to help take care of them whenever he was allowed. The act of brushing out their thick coats always brought a smile to his face, and the way the deadly beasts would roll over to allow him access to their soft bellies was the ultimate sign that he had been trusted by them all. Still, he wasn't foolish enough to think that his past bonds with his father's pack would mean he'd instantly be accepted into the summoning pact, but he figured it was definitely worth the chance.

His mind made up, Kakashi twisted his body so he'd have the ability to slam his palm onto the ground as the final step of the summoning. Next, he pulled one of his kunai out of his pouch and slid its razor-sharp edge along the pad of his right thumb, a sharp intake of breath the only outward sign that it hurt more than he'd expected. Taking a calming breath, Kakashi held his bleeding thumb over the scroll and allowed a single drop of the crimson fluid to strike the wax seal. The fluid was absorbed almost immediately into that seal, and Kakashi moved on to the next step. He allowed his hands to flow through the hand signs he'd practiced for so many years, making sure to infuse the movements with his chakra this time, and ending it all with his palm making contact with the hard ground.

"Summoning jutsu!"

A billowing cloud of thick white smoke was generated, and Kakashi held his breath, first hoping the summoning had succeeded, and second, wondering what magnificent beast would be there once the smoke cleared.

Kakashi frowned behind his mask and stared with wide eyes at the small pile of brown fur and wrinkles that was glaring back up at him. This definitely wasn't what he been expecting to see.

"What are you looking all doe-eyed about, pup? Haven't you ever seen a dog before?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the small pug-dog that was currently scratching at its ear with its hind leg. "Is this a joke?"

The pug walked over to where Kakashi was sitting and placed his two front paws on his cast, leaning in for a closer look. The disturbingly deep voice sounded again. "I was just about to ask you the same thing, kid, but I see you have the scroll, so I guess I'm in the right place."

Kakashi crossed his arms and scowled. "You aren't exactly what I was expecting."

The pug climbed up onto Kakashi's lap and sat down, tipping its head to one side. "The feeling's mutual, runt."

The two stared at each other silently for several minutes before Kakashi let loose a large sigh. "So, do you have a name?"

The pug scratched at the back of its ear again. "It's common courtesy to introduce yourself before asking someone else their name, pup."

Kakashi stared, wide-eyed, at the dog. "_You're_ teaching _me_ manners?"

The pug snorted. "Trying to, at least."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'm Kakashi Hatake...and you are?"

The small dog stretched his front paws out on Kakashi's lap and then let loose a large yawn before sitting again and answering. "Pakkun."

The two were silent for a bit longer before Kakashi's attention shifted back toward where Kuromaru was still sparring with Tsume. He felt the pug's weight shift on his lap before the dog spoke again. "How long has he been without his eye?"

Kakashi glanced down at the pug, impressed that the dog had noticed it, considering the speed with which his teammates were moving. "Just happened last mission."

Pakkun huffed. "That explains why his form is so off."

Kakashi furrowed his brow. "What would you know about that, Pakkun?"

The dog actually laughed at him. "Listen, kid. Don't let my size fool you. I've been at this a lot longer than you might think."

Kakashi was about to ask another question when he felt the small body on his lap tense just before it jumped into the air and clamped its jaws around the hilt of a kunai that was headed straight for Kakashi's arm. Tsume came running over a moment later with Kuromaru a step behind her.

"Sorry, Kakashi. That one got away from me. Are you okay?" She paused and glanced down at the pug, which still had her kunai in his mouth. "Right...and who's this?"

Kuromaru moved closer and lowered his body to the ground until he and Pakkun were muzzle to muzzle before he drew in a deep sniff. "A summon, huh?"

Kakashi leaned over and grabbed hold of the end of the kunai. Pakkun released it and settled back into a seated position, trying once again to reach the itch behind his ear. "Guys, this is Pakkun. Pakkun, these are two of my teammates...Tsume Inuzuka and Kuromaru."

"Heh, we could do worse." Pakkun climbed back up onto Kakashi's lap and curled himself up.

Kakashi glanced down at the pile of brown fur covering his legs for a moment before he reached down and scratched behind the pug's ear. He'd learned from his father's hounds that there was always one spot on the back of their heads that they were never able to comfortably reach on their own, no matter how hard they tried, and so he guessed it would be the same for the pug. The contented sigh from beneath his fingertips told him his educated guess was correct.

"So does this mean I should sign the scroll, Pakkun?" Kakashi felt the pug push up against his fingers.

"Later, pup. Right now I need you to just keep doing what you're doing."

Tsume's laughter pulled Kakashi's attention away from the dog on his lap. He met her gaze with a look that he knew would silently demand her to explain just what the Hell was so funny. Tsume's laughter died down to a chuckle and she answered his unasked question.

"You aren't seriously considering signing a contract with _that_, are you kid? I mean, really. I've seen _chew-toys_ bigger than that!"

Kakashi frowned at his teammate. He'd never in a million years thought an Inuzuka would be prejudiced against a smaller breed of canine..._unless_...Kakashi narrowed his eyes as he stared down at the wrinkled face staring back up at him. Obviously he was missing something.

"Looks like your manners haven't gotten any better since the last time we met, brat." Pakkun shifted slightly on Kakashi's lap and shook his head before sitting up and making a show of sniffing in Tsume's direction. "Here's hoping you don't pass it on to your pup."

A faint blush crept over Tsume's face as she rested one hand on her abdomen and then obviously tried to shift the attention back to the pug. "So, since when do they send _trackers_ to oversee scroll signings?"

Pakkun let out a long suffering sigh. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised an Inuzuka doesn't understand how this works."

Tsume and Kuromaru both let out a low growl. Kakashi watched as Pakkun seemingly ignored the duo and jumped off of his lap to walk closer to where they were standing. Surprisingly, Kuromaru tucked his tail between his legs and lowered himself until he was flat to the ground with his ears against his head. Pakkun nodded once and then stared up at Tsume.

"We've been keeping tabs on the kid since before he was named Alpha of the Clan. Because of that, we know he isn't ready for anything close to what the last pack was made up of."

It was Kakashi's turn to growl. "What the Hell does that mean?"

Pakkun glanced back over his shoulder and Kakashi saw an annoyed glare on his wrinkled face. "It's not an insult, pup. Now pay attention, 'cause I'm not gonna say this again."

Kakashi crossed his arms in front of him and pouted behind his mask as the pug turned back to finish his conversation. "As I was saying...he's not really built for the pack-mates the last Alpha had. Plus, his mind is sharper, as are his other senses. Because of that, it was decided he's gonna have a pack that specializes in tracking more than anything else."

Kakashi groaned. "Great, I can just see how frightened the enemy will be when I advance on them with a pack of bloodhounds."

Pakkun was next to him in less than a breath, and sank teeth that were much sharper than they had looked into Kakashi's exposed forearm. Pakkun's teeth held tight even though the rest of his body seemed perfectly limp. Kakashi tried to shake the beast off his arm, but the tenacious little pug refused to budge. With a sigh of defeat, Kakashi lowered his arm until the pug's feet hit the ground.

"I get it, Pakkun. I shouldn't assume a tracker has no other use."

The pug released his grip on Kakashi's arm and sat back, staring up expectantly at him. Kakashi bowed his head slightly. "I won't make that mistake again."

Pakkun ran the back of his front paw across lips stained with Kakashi's blood. "You better not, pup. Cause you aren't gonna enjoy the _next_ place I decide to bite."

Kakashi couldn't help but cringe at that thought. "So what now?"

Pakkun smiled at him. "Now, we have you sign the scroll, genius."

* * *

Gai sat at the entrance to the Inuzuka Compound and perched his elbows on his knees with his chin on his upturned fists. He hadn't seen his Eternal Rival anywhere within Konoha's walls or training fields for more than a month, and it had made him so worried yesterday that he had actually stopped smiling for an entire day. That, in turn, had caused his dad to rush him to the Konoha Hospital for an immediate checkup. The medic-nin on duty had been quite thorough in their exam before giving him a clean bill of health. This had left his dad confused, but Gai was too busy chewing on the most delicious Pocky that the kind-hearted nurse had given to him for being such a good patient.

It was almost enough to make Gai smile again, and he had wondered why Kakashi didn't like coming to a place full of so many caring people...and such yummy Pocky! At the thought of his silver-haired rival, the Pocky was pulled from his mouth and his frown once more settled on his face.

"See! _See_ what I'm talking about? He's been doing _that_ for _days_! Why would he be making such a non-joyous face if he wasn't ill?"

Gai glanced up toward his dad and saw a look of utter despair on the man's face. The kind-hearted nurse knelt in front of Gai and placed her hands on his shoulders, drawing his attention away from his dad.

"Tell me what's got you so sad, Sweetheart. Do you hurt somewhere?"

Gai drew in a deep breath and chewed on his Pocky while trying to come up with the proper words to explain his lack of joy. He pulled the Pocky out and glanced at the floor before mumbling his response.

"I'm worried."

He felt the nurse's gentle hand move from one of his shoulders to settle under Gai's chin. She tipped his head back until he could see the deep green of her eyes. "What would you possibly have to worry about, hmm?"

Gai shifted his gaze over to where his dad was before turning back toward the nurse and letting out a dramatic sigh along with his answer. "Kakashi..."

The nurse gave him a gentle smile. "Do you mean Kakashi Hatake?"

Gai's eyes went wide and he nodded his head twelve times just to make sure the nurse knew he agreed. She pulled Gai into a comforting hug and rubbed circles on his back.

"If that's all that has you worried, then I have got good news for you. Kakashi Hatake is just fine. In fact, we released him from the hospital just a week ago."

Gai pushed himself out of her grasp. "A _week_ ago! Then where is my Eternal Rival now?"

The nurse's expression changed to one of confusion as she turned toward Gai's dad. "Eternal Rival?"

Gai tugged on her smock until she paid attention to him again. "He wasn't at his apartment for a _month_...I know...I've checked every day! My Eternal Rival is _missing_!"

The nurse just looked even more confused until Gai's dad spoke up. "He means Kakashi."

The nurse scratched her ear. "Oh, then it's no surprise that he wasn't at his apartment. He's not allowed back there until the cast comes off."

Gai's eyes went wide and he felt them fill with water. "A cast? Did Kakashi get all broked up again? Why didn't he stay _here_ if he's in a cast?" Gai frowned and put his hands on his hips, the unfinished Pocky snapping in his hand in the process. "He didn't climb out the window again, did he?"

Both the nurse and his dad started laughing. Gai scratched at the back of his head. "What's so funny?"

The nurse wiped a few tears from her eyes. "No, Gai...Kakashi didn't climb out of the window this time. He's being watched by the Inuzuka Clan until the cast is removed, Sweetheart."

Gai furrowed his brow in deep thought. He'd heard of that Clan before...at the Academy...what was supposed to be so special about them? He grinned in triumph as he remembered. "They're the dog people, right?"

The laughter increased and eventually his dad placed a hand on Gai's shoulder. "You should have told me you were so worried about Kakashi. How about you meet me outside the Inuzuka Compound tomorrow afternoon, once I'm finished at the Academy, and you've been released from your training with your genin team, and we'll see if Kakashi is up for some visitors?"

Gai's lips pulled up into a true smile for the first time that day. "Really, Dad? Can we?"

His dad smiled back at him. "Sure thing, Sport. After all, someone as youthful as Kakashi Hatake will surely want a break from Compound life by now!"

Gai had made sure to speed through the exercises that Kouzou-sensei assigned his team today just so there would be no chance of his missing out on meeting up with his dad. His two teammates had barely made it through the first exercise by the time Gai was completely finished, and once Kouzou-sensei announced he was finished, Gai sped through the streets until he found himself outside the massive gates that led into the Inuzuka Compound. Now, three hours later, he was wondering if maybe he shouldn't have gone so fast after all. Hopefully his dad would remember that he was supposed to meet him here. After all, Gai only reminded him twenty-seven times this morning, so it was entirely possible the man may have forgotten.

As if summoned by Gai's thoughts of the man, his dad appeared in a swirl of chalk and smoke. Gai's eyes went wide and he jumped to his feet.

"Wow! I didn't know you could do _that_, Dad! Will you teach me? Please! Ooo...and don't you think it would be so much _hipper_ if the smoke was _green_?"

His dad chuckled. "Slow down, Sport. I thought you wanted to visit Kakashi today."

Gai gasped. How could he have forgotten his mission? "Of course! We will just have to wait for another glorious day for me to learn that super entrance from you!"

"Whatever you say, Gai. Now stay close to me once we're through the gates. And whatever you do...do _not_ stare any of the beasts in the eye. Am I clear?"

"Yes Dad. No staring." Gai thrust a thumb up in the air. "You can count on me!"

His dad smiled at him and led the way through the gate. Just inside the massive gateway they were approached by two of the biggest dogs Gai had ever seen. One was dark gray with bright white fangs poking out from its lips, while the other one was pure white with enormous paws and what looked like a bite taken out of one of its ears. Gai was going to ask his dad about it when his eyes locked with the white dog's gaze. Those eyes were beautiful! They were a wonderfully warm shade of gold, and caught the light from the afternoon sun in such a way that it seemed to Gai that the eyes were actually sparkling. He smiled at that thought, and wondered if he'd be able to find a way to add that to the green-smoke entrance he was already working on in his mind.

The low growl that came from the dog's throat, and the sudden pull on his collar from his dad, reminded him that he wasn't supposed to be staring at the magnificent beasts. But who could blame him? Those eyes were simply amazing!

"What business do you have here?"

Gai looked around trying to figure out who talked to them, but there was just them and the dogs. Gai's dad bowed toward the dogs and addressed the one with the beautiful eyes.

"Forgive us, but we were hoping to pay a visit to one of your charges today. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could we meet with Kakashi Hatake?"

The white dog walked around them once, sniffing the entire way, before sitting in front of them and speaking to them. "You'll find him in the inner practice yard. Don't interrupt any training going on or you'll answer to me, got it?"

Gai's eyes went wide, even as his dad quietly agreed to the conditions and then started pulling him toward another set of gates. Gai kept trying to get another glimpse of the white dog, but when he couldn't, he switched his attention to his dad.

"That dog just _talked_ to us, Dad! That was _so_ cool! Can we go back and make him do it again?"

His dad stopped short and pulled Gai in front of him. "Son, you really need to pay attention here. Of course the beast talked. It's one of the Inuzuka companion wolves. Didn't your Sensei teach you about them in the Academy?"

Gai bit at his bottom lip. "Oh yeah. I can remember something like that, but Dad, it was so much cooler to actually _see_ one face to face!"

His dad shook his head and spoke softly to him. "Gai, you can't react like that here. Sudden movements and loud voices from people the Inuzuka Companions don't know can cause them to attack first and ask questions later. Do you understand?"

Gai sighed. "Yes, Dad. I should use my 'inside voice' and not jump around."

His dad smiled. "That's right, Sport. Now let's go see how your friend is holding up with so much fur around him."

Gai grinned, and was just about to give a loud cheer, when one look from his dad made his rethink his actions. Instead, he thrust both thumbs up and whispered. "Let's go!"

They walked toward the next gate and peered into the inner practice yard hoping to locate his Eternal Rival. At first it seemed he wasn't there, but soon they heard Kakashi's distinctive voice and knew they were in the right place.

"Knock it off! That _tickles_, dammit! Stop it, already!"

Gai used his keen shinobi skills to figure out his friend's voice was coming from underneath the pile of fur to one side of the practice yard. He broke into a jog and crossed the distance wondering just what Kakashi was doing. He came to a stop just as Kakashi's silver-haired head broke free of what turned out to be a puppy pile.

A small brown pug-dog squirmed out from the bottom of the mass of puppy-fur and shook his entire body before sitting down to one side. "Okay, kids! Get off the pup..._now!_"

Gai's mouth dropped open at the deep voice that came from such a small dog. Would the wonders ever end? Before he could even come up with something to say, the fur covering Kakashi jumped off of his body and became four panting puppies, ranging in color from light brown and white, to a deep grayish-black. They all sat around the pug as though they were waiting for the small dog to tell them what to do next.

"What are you doing here, Gai?" Kakashi's breathless voice reminded Gai just why he was here.

Gai shook his head to clear it of thoughts of talking dogs and smiled down at his friend. "I heard you got broked up again and that you were here and, well, I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Kakashi pushed a hand through his messy hair. "I'm fine, Gai. The cast comes off in four more days."

Gai glanced from the puppies to the cast on Kakashi's leg and frowned. "How can they let those dogs run all over you like that? Don't they realize you can't run away from them?"

Kakashi laughed at him. "If I ran away from them Gai, how would I manage to train them, hmm?"

"Train them? Why would they let you do that?" Gai glanced back up at his dad. "I thought the Inuzuka Clan didn't let other people train their dogs. That's what they taught us in the Academy. Isn't that right, Dad?"

His dad crouched down next to where Gai was standing. "These aren't Inuzuka companions, Gai. If I had to guess, I'd say these are Kakashi's pack."

Gai stared back at his Rival. "You have your very own pack? That is _so_ cool! Have you taught them anything yet?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Gai, I've only just met them."

Gai watched as first one, then the rest of the puppies inched their way over to where Kakashi could easily reach them. A smile spread across Gai's face as his friend automatically started scratching the small animals behind their ears when they came within reach. The gruff voice of the pug startled Gai.

"Why don't you make yourselves useful and help scratch, hmm?"

Gai's dad laughed and settled into a seated position before he reached out and scooped up two of the puppies and began scratching, as directed. Gai smiled wider and plopped down on the ground next to his Eternal Rival and stretched out to sink his fingertips into the fur behind the dark-gray puppies ears.

"I see you finally got your headband, Gai." Kakashi's words caught Gai off guard, and his free hand settled on the gleaming metal plate secured around his waist. "It looks good on you."

"Really? You think so, Kakashi?"

"Yeah." The chunin chuckled. "It's about time."

Gai's smile faded, but before he could worry too much about his friend's words, he felt a soft paw press against his hand. He looked down to see the pug looking up at him with enormous dark brown eyes.

"Ignore the pup, Kid. How about you put those genin fingertips to use and scratch my neck?"

With that, the three of them sat basking in the warm afternoon sun, leisurely scratching the small dogs' necks until the animals all fell asleep. Only after Gai's dad placed his two puppies onto Kakashi's lap and went in search of one of the Inuzuka's did Gai speak again.

"Kakashi, can I ask you a question?"

His Rival smirked at him. "You just did, Gai."

Gai frowned. "I'm serious Kakashi."

His friend looked at him for a moment before sighing. "Alright, Gai. What do you want to know?"

Gai kept stroking the soft fur of the dogs as his eyes shifted to stare at the hip to toe cast covering Kakashi's leg. "Weren't you afraid you wouldn't make it out of your mission alive?"

A strange look crossed Kakashi's face for a moment before the silver-haired boy's eyes took on an almost haunted look. When he spoke, his words were so quiet that Gai had to lean in closer in order to hear them.

"Sometimes, Gai, there are much worse things on a mission than dying."

Gai wanted to shout out against such a statement. He wanted to explain to Kakashi that death is the _ultimate_ sacrifice for a shinobi. But something in the way Kakashi's breathing had hitched while he spoke, and how his eyes made him look so lost, took those words away from Gai's lips. Instead, he placed a small smile on his face and fearlessly met those dark eyes.

"Well...I'm glad you didn't die, Kakashi. After all, you promised you'd spar with me!"

Kakashi's eyes seemed to lose some of their hard edge as they curled up into what Gai knew was a smile. "Can you at least wait until they cut me out of the cast, Gai?"

Now Gai let loose with a wide grin. "You betcha, Kakashi! In fact, if you want...I can come help you with the puppies until then too!"

"I don't know about that, Gai..."

A voice from Gai's lap interrupted Kakashi's response. "I think the Kid should definitely come help, Pup. He'll come in handy on bath day until you get that plaster off."

"Heh, good point Pakkun. Can you stop by again tomorrow, Gai?"

Gai nearly jumped up in excitement before he remembered he had two sleeping dogs on his lap. So instead he gave Kakashi two thumbs up and a wide grin. "You bet!"

* * *

Hiruzen sat back in his chair and waited for Pakkun to settle himself on top of his desk. Once the pug was comfortable, he cut straight to the chase.

"How bad is it, Pakkun?"

The dog growled quietly before giving his answer. "You suspicion that the pup went through more than he had told anyone seems to be correct, Hokage."

Hiruzen frowned. "What's make you so sure?"

The dog snorted at him. "The kid won't interact with anyone outside of his team unless forced to."

"He's always done that, Pakkun. I'm afraid I'll need more than that."

Pakkun tipped his head to the side. "Okay, how about this. Anytime anyone over the age of twenty touches him he freezes."

"Freezes?"

"Yeah. He tenses his entire body and gives off the unmistakable scent of fear."

Hiruzen closed his eyes and rubbed a hand along his chin. He'd noticed Kakashi's flinch during his own meeting with the boy, but he had hoped it had been a fluke. "Has he given any hints over what happened to him, Pakkun?"

A gruff chuckle from the dog made him open his eyes again. "Sure, Hokage. The Kid's known me all of two days and he's found it in his heart to open up and spill his darkest secrets to me. I'm good...but I ain't _that_ good!"

Hiruzen sighed. "Sorry about that, Pakkun, I'm just worried for the boy."

Pakkun stood up and paced to the edge of the desk before sitting down again. "Don't worry about him, Hokage. He's from good stock, and his pack'll keep him safe until he can get his head straight again."

Hiruzen raised his eyebrow at that. "His pack? So you had him sign the scroll already? I hadn't realized there was a pack ready for him so soon."

Pakkun scratched at his ear. "Yeah, well they aren't technically ready for him yet."

He frowned at the pug. "What did you do, Pakkun?"

"Me? Hey, I'll have you know this was approved by every Alpha back home."

"Pakkun..." He leaned toward the pug.

"Alright already. You would have figured it out yourself once you spied on the boy later tonight."

Hiruzen sat back. "I don't spy on him."

Pakkun snorted again. "Right. Anyhow, when you look in on him don't be surprised when you see him covered in puppies."

He widened his eyes in shock. "Puppies? The boy has a full leg cast and you've left him to care for puppies?"

Pakkun shook his head. "First off, these aren't your run-of-the-mill puppies. They don't really need the kind of care a regular puppy would need. And second, they are actually there to care for the Pup."

"How so?"

Pakkun chuckled, making it clear that Hiruzen must be missing something. "The best way to keep the kid from reacting to others touching him is to desensitize him to it, right? What better way do you know to do that than to have a brood of puppies tackling the boy whenever he least expects it?"

Hiruzen smiled at the simplicity of the plan. "I don't know why I ever doubted you, Pakkun."

The pug stood up and jumped off the desk and onto Hiruzen's lap. "No worries...you're human...I wouldn't expect anything else."

With that, the pug disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Hiruzen alone once more. He leaned back in his chair and wondered about just what the young Hatake had been through in his last mission. Perhaps he'd send one of the Yamanaka's over to have a chat with him. Of course, they'd need to be warned to be careful with their interview. After all, much in the same way the boy's leg couldn't be forced to heal at his age, his mind was still growing as well, and would need to be approached just as cautiously. Considering the first and last mission of Team Minato had landed Kakashi in a cast, Tsume expecting a child, and Keikan on life support, the last thing Hiruzen needed right now was to explain to Minato that he'd inadvertently scrambled his favorite student's mind.

Hiruzen sighed once more before giving in to his urge to check up on Kakashi. He pushed himself up from his chair and walked over to where his gazing crystal was sitting at a side table. He refused to feel guilty as he performed the needed jutsu to activate the crystal and focus in on the silver-haired chunin. Just as Pakkun had predicted, the young boy was currently sleeping while being surrounded by a small group of puppies.

Hiruzen chuckled at how peaceful the scene was. But, as though that thought was enough to chase the peace away, he saw Kakashi's body tense and begin to thrash while deep in what could only have been a severe nightmare. The reaction of the puppies was almost immediate. Each one was instantly alert and worked their way onto the boy's body. Two worked their way under his hands while another spread itself out across the chunin's legs. The final puppy wriggled until it was firmly in place under Kakashi's chin with its body sprawled across the small boy's chest. Only then did Kakashi seem to settle down with an unconscious sigh and fall deeper into sleep.

Hiruzen continued to watch the crystal until he saw Pakkun enter the room and climb up to join the other dogs. Content that the child was in goods hands...or paws, as the case may be...he released the jutsu and sat back in his chair. He ran his hands through his hair and sighed before getting up and heading out of the office to return to his family home. Somehow, he always found himself eager to spend time with his wife and children after checking on Kakashi. Perhaps it was simply to remind himself that his own sons, who were just a few years older than the boy, were still safe at home in their beds. And to remind himself that it was for the safety of _all_ the families in Konoha that he, as Hokage, had to continue to use someone like Kakashi as a tool to protect them all. Sometimes he truly hated being Hokage.


	10. Fractured

Chapter 10

Fractured

Kakashi crouched down behind the rock outcropping on the border of Iwa and waited for his pack to report in. As much as he hated himself for it, he found he was actually nervous about just what the hounds may have found. It was foolish, he realized, but he knew this mission was meant to be his final test before allowing him to utilize his pack in an official capacity – perhaps even on solo missions. Up until now he had only been allowed to use the hounds when the mission was ranked C or D, and the fact that his pack was being used to track down wayward children and stubborn cats was something that annoyed Kakashi to no end. Today, however, could very well be the end of such useless missions. All he had to do was prove that his pack of nin-hounds could do more than just follow a basic scent trail.

Of course, this was also meant to serve as a practical test of just how well he'd recovered since his leg had healed after the first – and last – mission for Team Minato. It had been pretty obvious to Kakashi that the Team was being dissolved when Tsume entered the third trimester of her pregnancy, and Keikan was still in the Intensive Care Unit at the Hospital with his chances of returning to active duty somewhere between slim and none. Add to that the fact Kuromaru refused to leave Tsume's side for reassignment, and that Kakashi himself had still been on the 'severely disabled' list until just a week ago, and it was pretty much a no-brainer. Still, Kakashi had actually felt a bit disappointed when he'd been called into the Hokage's office to receive the official news. He'd formed a rather close bond to the Inuzuka and her companions, and he really hadn't wanted to go through the process of being ridiculed by another team of people who would surely be older, taller, and far less talented than he was.

But reassignment to another team had not occurred. Instead, Kakashi and Minato worked alone, like they had when he'd first become a genin. Unfortunately, they'd been limited in what they were assigned due to his still-healing leg. Minato hadn't seemed to care, and met every C and D-ranked mission they were assigned with equal enthusiasm, but to Kakashi it had felt as though he'd lost all the ground he'd gained up to this point. It wasn't until the puppies were finally old enough to start being trained in tracking that Kakashi actually felt alive again. With Minato and Pakkun's guidance, he worked day and night with the fur-balls to hone their individual talents, and he had found the best ways to utilize them for tracking and trailing. But even that process grew tiresome once it had become clear that he wasn't going to be assigned any higher ranked missions without having to prove himself, and his pack, to the Village Elders.

Kakashi had begged Minato relentlessly for a week to petition the Hokage for just such a proving mission, but his Sensei always seemed to have something else going on, or flat out refused because he felt Kakashi wasn't quite healed enough yet. Finally, after more than half a year, Kakashi had decided he'd had enough. He had marched into the Hokage Tower and demanded an audience with the Hokage immediately. He'd almost been laughed out of the office until he quietly quoted the exact section and paragraph of the Village By-laws which showed such an audience was a Clan Leader's right. He then pointed out that, indeed, he _was_ listed on the document hanging behind the desk clerk that showed every active clan leader within Konoha's boundaries.

The meeting with the Third Hokage didn't exactly go smoothly. Although the Hokage agreed with him that he was definitely healed enough to return to higher ranked missions, the old man had outright _refused_ to consider sending him out of the village without his Sensei there to watch his back. But at that time, Minato-sensei wasn't available to lead this mission, having been called away for some diplomatic meeting halfway between Suna and Konoha. And worse than that, the man wasn't due back for another three weeks! It was only after two straight hours of heated discussions that the Third finally agreed to assigning him the mission. But it was on the condition that another team, selected by the Elders, went along to provide both proof of his capabilities, along with an assessment of the skill level of his newly trained pack.

Kakashi had reluctantly agreed to these conditions, and found himself matched up with a trio of jonin who he could remember seeing around the family compound when he was growing up. They were actually members of _that man's_ team, back before all hell had broken loose, and he figured the old fools sitting on the counsel did it on purpose in an attempt to try and throw him off his game. But it would take more than memories of his dead father to break his concentration on such an important mission. Besides, it meant that none of the assigned team would expect Kakashi to act like a kid. However, on the not-so-bright side, he felt as though they were constantly sizing him up against their memories of Sakumo Hatake. Even though the trio had made sure not to make those comparisons outright, every now and again Kakashi would notice the trace of a sad smile cross Choza Akimichi's face after Kakashi said something reminiscent of how _that man_ would have said it, or he'd spy the three of them sharing a look, and he'd just _known_ what was going through their minds...that he was just like his father.

The press of a cold nose into his fingers pulled him out of his angry thoughts and back to the mission at hand. He glanced down to find Pakkun staring up at him with eyes that showed that the pug likely knew exactly what was on Kakashi's mind and that he did not approve. Kakashi ignored that stare outright and whispered to the dog.

"Report."

Pakkun's eyes narrowed, but instead of the tongue-lashing Kakashi expected, the pug actually nodded once and slipped right into detailing his findings. "There are ten Iwa freaks waiting in what looks to be an ambush formation just beyond the rise due-north of here. Biscuit reports he heard them talking about using your presence to help push the coming war a bit farther in their favor."

The pug paused and glanced back over his shoulder toward where the Ino-Shika-Cho trio was failing miserably at trying to look like they weren't trying to hear every word the dog was saying. "Bull and Shikon found two more teams set up in flanking positions to the east and west. And there are signs that runners have been going even farther out and back again too frequently for it to be anything other than additional teams beyond that."

Kakashi frowned. He knew the Elders thought for certain that the talk of Iwa entering the war had been over exaggerated, but now this information definitely confirmed those rumors, and he'd need to make sure the information made it back to Konoha...even if _they_ did not. Kakashi ran a hand through the hair at the back of his neck and thought through the many options before choosing what he knew was the best way to guarantee mission success.

"Pakkun, take Biscuit with you and head back to Konoha."

"And what about you, Pup? What in the world makes you think we'd abandon you here?"

Kakashi hardened his gaze at the pug. "Because I'm _ordering_ you to report your findings back to the Hokage. I plan on helping the Trio keep these Iwa scum from thinking they can trap Konoha shinobi so easily and use them to start a war. Do you have a problem with that?"

Kakashi watched Pakkun's wrinkled fur shudder at his words. "Dammit, Brat, you aren't ready for this yet!"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low tone that he'd never used before. "Ready or not, Pakkun, there really isn't a choice. I refuse to let this scum win...especially at the cost of Konoha shinobi. So get your fuzzy ass moving before it's too late for our village!"

Pakkun took a step back and tipped his head slightly to the side, staring at Kakashi as though he'd never seen him before. A moment later and the pug chuckled. "Well, I'll be damned. 'Bout time you figured out you were the Alpha."

Before Kakashi could do more than gape at the pug, Pakkun turned tail and ran off, with Biscuit close behind him. Kakashi shook his head at just how ridiculous the dog could be and turned to where the others were waiting for him. Kakashi let loose a quiet sigh before squaring his shoulders and crossing over to where two-thirds of the trio was smirking at him. Choza Akimichi made it a point to step back so that Kakashi could stand between the large man and Shikaku Nara. Meanwhile, Inoichi Yamanaka moved to stand directly in front of him.

Kakashi struggled to keep his face impassive as the adults surrounded him, even as the memories of the last time he'd been surrounded by grown men in such a manner threatened to overwhelm him. He had to almost physically push back his 'fight or flight' instincts that were, even now, clawing at the back of his mind. Inoichi's eyes narrowed, and a trace of a frown crossed the man's lips right before he knelt down until they were eye to eye. Kakashi met those eyes steadily, even though his heart rate had nearly doubled. He was pleased that his voice didn't show any sign of his distress when he addressed the blond-haired jonin.

"I've sent two of the pack to Konoha. Iwa is definitely planning something, and it looks like they want to use us as their starting point."

Kakashi heard Shikaku grunt over his left shoulder at his words. "We already know about the ambush, Kakashi. It can be easily turned against them."

Choza's meaty hand settled on Kakashi's right shoulder and tightened in what was surely meant to be a reassuring gesture, but again, it only brought back memories Kakashi would prefer to forget. The man's deep voice gave Kakashi something other than that touch to concentrate on.

"Don't worry about it, Kakashi. We aren't that easy to take down!"

Meanwhile, Inoichi continued to silently watch him as the others spoke – as though he _knew_ what dark thoughts and memories were passing through his mind. Kakashi closed his eyes to block the man out of his vision, and took a deep calming breath. He tried to keep his discomfort out of his next words.

"And are you going to remain as confident when they flank us as well?"

Shikaku chuckled. "It's a common strategy to provide teams to flank the targets and drive them toward the ambush, Kakashi."

"And is it common strategy to include additional resources in a second and third wave _behind_ those flanking teams?"

Kakashi's question was met by silence, and in that instant, he felt certain that this additional information he'd received from his pack had shown their worth on a mission. A lone howl drifted to the edge of Kakashi's hearing and he snapped his eyes open. He twisted free of Choza's grip as he spun toward where his pack had identified the ambush being set up earlier. By the time he had stopped moving, he was crouched with a kunai in his hand and his words hissed through his teeth.

"They're coming! I guess they decided _not_ to wait for us."

Without another word, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio went into action, even as the three remaining members of Kakashi's pack came rushing into the small clearing to take up position all around him. Each animal looked winded, and the largest of them, Bull, was sporting a rather nasty gash on his left shoulder. But even with their obvious discomfort, the young dogs' tails were all wagging with an eagerness that made it clear that they were ready for whatever was coming their way. And they didn't have long to wait.

A slight rumbling below their feet was all the warning Kakashi and the others received before dozens of long, thin spikes of stone pushed through the ground in an obvious attempt to skewer them where they stood. The moment Kakashi saw what that first attack was, he quickly returned his kunai to its pouch. He let his fingers glide through the needed hand-signs to channel his chakra and mold it into the desired jutsu. Kakashi dodged another spike to his left before crouching to the ground and slamming his hand against it, releasing his chakra in a seismic wave that spread out across the area and toppled every spike of stone that the enemy had sent their way.

Before the dust had settled, Kakashi was already on the move. He locked his eyes on Bull's back and followed the mastiff toward where he could hear the enemy already engaged in battle with his fellow Konoha shinobi. A quick series of sharp whistles was all he needed to give to let Bull know to steer clear of that engagement, and in seconds they were headed closer to where the majority of the enemy were waiting. Another series of whistles and his pack knew to separate and do as much damage as they could, while he continued forward with the intention to do the same.

As he came up to his first target, it became obvious to him that the Iwa shinobi would be underestimating him just from the way the man was smirking at his approach. It was a reaction he was quite used to, and Kakashi smiled behind his mask at what he knew would be the last mistake the towering man ever made. He waited until the very last moment to launch himself into a leap straight at the man. Kakashi reached behind his back and drew his family tanto from its scabbard while he sailed through the air. Kakashi timed the move so perfectly that he was already landing on the ground beside the man and moving on to his next target before the Iwa shinobi recognized that his neck had been fatally sliced. The sharp blade had been made all the more deadly by a layer of white-hot chakra coating its edge.

By the time Kakashi had defeated four more of the enemy, he was no longer receiving those condescending smirks from the Iwa shinobi. In fact, as he skidded to a stop amidst a group of six more of the Stone-village ninja, he heard more than one of them make plans to team up against him. Kakashi sighed and braced himself for whatever was to come, confident that his pack would warn him of anyone who tried to take him by surprise. As if to prove that point, he heard a vicious growl to his right, just before he saw another Iwa shinobi scampering back toward the main mass of the enemy. The man was holding his hand against his bleeding thigh as he ran. Shikon followed closely behind the man, nipping at his heels. The hound was so wrapped up in his interaction with his prey that when Kakashi saw a second shinobi swing their mace toward the small gray and white boxer it was clear to him that the animal would be unable to avoid being hit. Kakashi felt his heart clench at the thought of one of his pack being in harm's way, but before he had to worry any more about it, Bull barreled into the mace-wielding enemy's side, eliminating the threat altogether as his massive jaws sank into the man's throat.

Unfortunately, while Kakashi's attention had been occupied, the enemy took advantage, and attacked from the one direction the young chunin had neglected to protect. The ground directly behind Kakashi burst forth and, in the moment it took for him to recognize his mistake, Kakashi felt strong arms circle his body and he was lifted off the ground. Those arms squeezed so tightly that Kakashi was unable to take a full breath, and soon his fingers started to tingle as his circulation was being restricted. Kakashi tried his best to break free. He slammed his head backward in the hopes to smack into the man's chin, but all he hit was a broad muscled chest. He was held too close to the man's body for his legs to find any purchase, and any fight he had left simply drained away when the Iwa shinobi leaned his head down until his lips brushed against Kakashi's neck as he whispered into his ear.

"I wonder if you'll be that flexible once I have you pinned to the ground, pretty-one?"

* * *

Inoichi was working in tandem with Shikaku to finish off the last three Iwa scum. He was using one of his best jutsu – the body control technique – to force the largest of the three to attack the other two. This kept all three too busy to notice Shikaku's shadows winding their way up to their necks until it was too late. A few moments later and all three lay on the ground with their necks broken.

He turned to the east to see Choza was nearly finished with his own battle, and he knew his larger-than-life friend would have no problem dispatching those he was engaged with. Which left only one more member of his team to check up on – Kakashi Hatake. He glanced around the area they were in, but there was no sign on the silver-haired son of his first Sensei. A series of growls and barks quickly gave him a general idea of just where he'd find the chunin, and with a quick hand-sign to his teammate, Inoichi took off toward the ruckus, leaving Shikaku to clean up after him.

Inoichi expected to find the boy systematically working his way through whatever enemy shinobi were left, just as he'd witnessed the White Fang do over the years. So when he moved into a position that gave him a clear view of the scene and saw Kakashi hanging limply within the grasp of an Iwa shinobi that rivaled Choza in size, he'd been taken completely by surprise. He'd never expected Kakashi to be captured so easily, or he would have made sure one of the others had stayed close to the boy. But he'd figured Kakashi's nin-hound pack would make up for that, and that the team would be heading back to Konoha within the hour.

Inoichi frowned at the scene before him and tried to fathom just what might have gone wrong. The bodies he'd passed on the way showed Kakashi's skill level was easily that of some of the younger jonin in the Konoha ranks. There hadn't been a single wasted hit from what he'd seen. But at the moment, Kakashi looked as far-removed from that deadly killing machine as one could get. The boy's body was showing no signs that he was even _trying_ to fight back, but it was Kakashi's eyes that gave Inoichi the first inkling that everything wasn't as it seemed.

Kakashi's eyes were wide open and his face was paler than Inoichi had ever seen it. But it was the vacant, haunted stare from those eyes that gave him the clue to Kakashi's current state of inaction. Inoichi had seen that look before, back when he had been working a rotation in the Konoha hospital and was first learning to control his Clan's mind-jutsu. He'd been assigned to help assess victims of trauma. There had been one small girl, barely younger than Kakashi was now, that held a similar look in her eyes. That child had been the unfortunate victim of her father's twisted version of love. The child's mind had shattered in an attempt to separate herself from the heinous actions her own father had performed on her, and even after months of intense mind-therapy, the girl was never able to be rehabilitated to a point where she could care for herself. The visions within the poor child's mind had managed to leave Inoichi with nightmares for weeks afterward.

Was it possible that Kakashi had experienced something similar? And if so, why the hell hadn't it been caught before now? But before he had a chance to further ponder what might be going on in the boy's mind, he watched the Iwa shinobi lean down to whisper to Kakashi before running his tongue along the young boy's outer ear. Kakashi's reaction reminded him so much of the girl that he had to keep himself from growling and pouncing right then and there. A rash moment now would likely end badly, for both himself and Kakashi. Instead, he slipped back from the clearing until he was far enough away to trigger the two-way radio strapped to his neck without being overheard.

"Shika...Cho...we've got trouble."

He knew it was all that he needed to say to get the rest of the team to meet up with him, and less than a minute later his best friends were at his side. As he led them back toward where he'd left Kakashi, Inoichi wasted no time filling them in on what he'd witnessed. It was clear on both their faces that they were as disturbed by this change in their Sensei's son as he was. In all the years that they had known Kakashi Hatake, they had never known him to freeze up for _any_ reason. Hell, the three of them had made a pact to secretly keep an eye on the younger boy ever since their Sensei had sacrificed himself, and in all that time the boy had seemed stronger than most battle-hardened jonin. So to hear that this child of the White Fang had _frozen_ in the midst of a battle was too disturbing to fathom.

Shikaku scratched at the back of his head. "So the question is, why would the kid freeze at all? What aren't you telling us, Ino?"

Inoichi briefly met his friend's dark eyes. "Do you remember what Lord Hokage told us about Kakashi's last team mission?"

Inoichi could almost see the man pulling up the memory in order to recall every detail. It was a skill that Shikaku possessed that made him invaluable on missions.

"I see...the Third's assumption that something more had happened to the kid on that mission was correct."

Inoichi nodded once at the man's statement. "I'm afraid so."

Choza's eyes reflected his concern for Kakashi. "What can we do, Ino?"

"We need to get him away from those Iwa scum first. Then, I'll need to spend some time alone with him, in order to figure out what the hell triggered his reaction before I'll have any real idea about what's needed."

Shikaku let out a low growl. "Why wasn't this caught during the kid's review? I thought he was cleared for duty months ago?"

Inoichi shook his head and spoke through clenched teeth. "I don't know. I wasn't allowed to participate when the Clan reviewed him."

Choza rolled his eyes. "Why doesn't _that_ surprise me?"

Before they could get too much farther into the idiocy of Village policies and Clan politics that tended to harm more than help, they had reached the outskirts of the area where he'd left Kakashi. The trio skidded to a stop. Instead of finding a helpless chunin in the clutches of the enemy, they found Kakashi standing in the center of a half-dozen bodies. Those bodies showed various means of death...from the obvious slices across their necks, to the less than obvious injuries that looked as though the Iwa shinobi had been electrocuted. Kakashi stood motionless, with his head lowered so that none of them could see his face. His arms were hanging loose at his sides – one hand was holding a bloodied kunai, while the other was gripped around the hilt of the signature tanto they could all remember Sakumo-sensei wielding years before. The boy's normally wild silver hair lay slicked back against his scalp, and it was thick with the congealing blood of those fallen around him. His breathing rasped from his chest, but that seemed to be the only sign that Kakashi had expended the energy needed to eliminate so many enemy shinobi.

A low growling was heard from the nin-hounds located off to the side, and a quick look at how they were lying on the ground with their ears flat against their heads made it clear they were not entirely sure about Kakashi's current state either. Waves of killing intent continued to roll off the boy, and it was all Inoichi needed to recognize they were likely registering as potential enemies to Kakashi.

Choza's worried voice broke Inoichi out of his silent shock. "How? How could he have done this when you saw him helpless?"

Unfortunately, his voice also caught the attention of the boy standing before them. When Kakashi raised his head to stare straight at them, Inoichi's breath caught in his throat the moment he saw the boy's eyes. If they had looked vacant and haunted before, then now they held pure, unadulterated hatred. It was such a complete opposite to what he'd seen earlier, that for the briefest moment Inoichi thought that perhaps he'd misread the boy initially. But no...there was no way he could have mistaken that glazed look he'd seen on Kakashi's face when he'd been in the grip of the Iwa jonin.

Kakashi's hands tightened noticeably around his weapons and, at first, Inoichi feared the boy was about to attack them. But that was when he noticed that Shikaku was taking a slow step toward Kakashi. The shadow-manipulator made certain to approach the boy with empty hands, palms up, in an obvious attempt to show he was not the enemy, and for a moment Inoichi thought the man had finally lost his mind. But he should have realized his friend would have had a plan in mind before taking his first step.

Inoichi listened in awe as his teammate calmly addressed the boy, even as he continued to cross the distance between them. "All your enemies are dead, Kakashi Hatake. It's time for you to stand down now. You're among comrades."

Each word had been carefully pitched...with the perfect balance between soothing calm and assured command. At first Kakashi's only reaction was to growl at him, but then slowly...ever so slowly...the young chunin's demeanor transformed from that of a deadly killer, to that of a confused young man. And it was at that moment that Inoichi had his first inkling that, whatever the trauma had been in Kakashi's past, that the boy had found a way to handle it. And what was more, based on how confused Kakashi currently appeared, there was a very good chance that the boy truly had no idea of what had just occurred in this clearing.

Kakashi's dark gray eyes went wide as he took in the carnage all around him and, when his gaze shifted to the bloodied weapons still clutched in his hands, Inoichi knew his assessment had been accurate. So when Kakashi's eyes fluttered shut and his knees began to buckle, Inoichi was at his side to catch the boy when he lost consciousness. He laid Kakashi down as gently as he could before looking up into the worried visages of his friends and teammates, even as Kakashi's hounds crept closer to them in obvious concern.

Choza bent down and picked up his Sensei's tanto from where Kakashi had dropped it, and he frowned down at the boy. "Ino, we can't let the Elders know."

Inoichi glanced over to where Shikaku was silently nodding his agreement with Choza's statement and he sighed. "I can't guarantee that I'll be able to help him on my own. What if I end up doing more damage to him?"

Shikaku knelt next to him and placed one hand gently on Kakashi's forehead. "He's Sakumo's only son. Do you really think he'll be treated better if we bring him back to Konoha?"

Inoichi furrowed his brow. Shikaku brought up a valid point. Sakumo's choice of the lives of his teammates over the completion of his mission was still something that was a source of great debate within the village. And, unfortunately, more than a few of those in power back in Konoha were just waiting for an excuse to paint the White Fang's son with the same broad brush they'd used to disgrace the boy's father. As much as it sickened Inoichi to think anyone would deliberately withhold the help this boy needed, it was too much of a risk to take.

His mind made up, Inoichi allowed a small smile to grace his lips. "Alright then. We'll need to keep this quiet, but I'd still prefer to work on him back in Konoha. That way if something _does_ go wrong, we can still call in help if we need it. Agreed?"

Choza grinned widely at him. "If that's what it takes, Ino...then count me in!"

Inoichi shifted his gaze toward Shikaku and waited patiently while the Nara mulled over all the options. After nearly a full five minutes, the man let out an exaggerated sigh. "Although it's likely to prove bothersome in the end, I agree with your risk assessment."

Choza sat on the ground next to them with a confused look on his face. "So, does that mean he agrees or not, Ino?"

Inoichi chuckled at his hapless teammate. "Yes, Choza. It means he agrees."

"Agrees to what?"

All three men were caught by surprise at the sound of Kakashi's tired voice. Inoichi smiled softly at the boy in his arms. Leave it to Kakashi Hatake to bounce back so quickly after such an experience. Still, he didn't particularly want to delve into the boy's possible mental problems right at the moment. The question was, what would he possibly come up with to answer Kakashi's question?

As usual, Shikaku saved him from ever having to make such a decision. "As troublesome as it will end up being for you, Kakashi, I was agreeing with Inoichi's assessment that we would all need a bath before heading back to Konoha."

Without missing a beat, Choza chimed in. "Luckily for all of us, I just happen to know the perfect spot! There's a natural hot spring less than an hour's walk from here! And there's a wonderful fruit orchard all around it!"

Kakashi pushed himself up to sitting and absentmindedly rubbed at the back of Bull's neck. "Why is it that you always manage to know where every orchard is located within a hundred mile radius of Konoha, Choza?"

The Akimichi blushed a bit at Kakashi's observation. "It's important to know these things, Kakashi. After all, you never know when your rations will run out!"

They all shared a laugh at the large shinobi's rationalization before setting out toward where the hot spring waited for them. It didn't go unnoticed to Inoichi that Kakashi failed to even mention the carnage scattered around them. For Inoichi, it meant he was likely in for the challenge of his life, especially if the young chunin's mind was blocking his reactions to outside stimuli in such a way. All he could hope was that he'd find a way to help heal the fractured mind of the boy he and his team had come to think of as a little brother.

* * *

Gai watched in awe as row after row of Konoha's elite jonin lined the training field he'd been hoping to use for his taijutsu practice. He'd never seen so many of them in one place in his whole life and he wondered just what they were waiting around for. He'd been so entranced by the scene that he had failed to sense the approach of somebody from behind until they'd placed one hand on his shoulder.

Gai's reaction had been automatic. He reached back and grabbed the wrist of his unknown attacker and pulled it forward, even as he dropped to the ground and swept his left leg behind him to catch the villain's ankles and topple them to the ground. Or...at least that was how he'd _imagined_ the results of that move in his head over the past five months of practicing it with his shadow clone.

In reality, when Gai went to grab the unknown attacker's wrist, he'd only managed to grip onto his own collar so that when he yanked it forward with more than a bit of strength he'd managed to pull his own spandex uniform so hard that it resulted in one of the worst wedgies he'd ever had the misfortune of experiencing. The discomfort brought tears to his eyes, but the voice behind him pushed that pain far away.

"Really Gai, can't you just be normal for once in your life?"

Gai's eyes went wide and he spun around to see his Eternal Rival for the first time in months. "Kakashi! You're back!"

He watched his friend rub a hand across the back of his head. "So it seems, Gai. You know you shouldn't be here right now, right?"

Gai took a moment to free himself of the binding cloth threatening to split him in two before he perched his hands on his hips and frowned at Kakashi. "I'm an official genin now Kakashi. I get to use any of the training fields on this side of the village. My dad said so!"

Kakashi shoved his hands into his pockets before he walked over to where Gai had been spying on the gathering of jonin earlier. "I'm sure he did, Gai. But right now every shinobi, from genin to jonin, is being recalled and assigned to report to specific training fields for further instructions."

Gai turned his attention back to where the elite shinobi were all standing at attention. "They are?"

Kakashi nodded at him. "Yeah. I was heading over to Training Field Three to meet up with the rest of the chunin and saw you gawking and figured you hadn't heard yet."

"Oh." Gai took a closer look at his friend and saw how tired he looked. "Maybe you should take a nap after you finish meeting Kakashi. You look wiped out."

He watched Kakashi take a deep breath before he turned on his heel and started heading toward where he'd said the chunin were meeting without another word. Gai frowned and ran to catch up with the silver-haired boy. They walked on in silence until Kakashi stopped short. Gai walked a few steps past him before scrambling back to stand next to him again.

"What's wrong Kakashi? Why'd we stop? Did you need a rest already? See – I _told_ you that you needed a nap."

Kakashi's right eyebrow twitched before he answered Gai. "I don't need a nap Gai."

"Then why'd you stop, hmm?"

Kakashi sighed at him. "Because, Gai. This is Training Field Two."

Gai scratched his ear. "Yeah...so what? I thought you said you needed to go to Training Field _Three_?"

"I do, Gai. But the genin have been assigned to report to Training Field Two."

"Hey! _I'm_ a genin!"

"You don't say."

Gai watched as Kakashi turned away from him and headed off toward his own meeting place. He'd wanted to ask his friend to spar with him, but in the excitement of the moment it had completely slipped his mind. He decided to try and get his friend's attention before he got too far, and so he placed his hands on either side of his mouth and yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Eternal Rival! Wait! We still need to spar! You promised!"

Although Gai was certain Kakashi must have heard him, considering a flock of birds just ahead of his friend took flight at his shout, the silver-haired boy just continued to walk away at a steady pace. Gai let loose a sigh at how cool his chunin friend could be, and he moved toward where his fellow genin were already lining up in the field. He quickly found his spot in line next to his teammates and waited to find out what was going on. While they waited he couldn't help but overhear a couple of the jonin-sensei talking amongst themselves.

"So those Iwa scum have finally made their move, huh?"

"Yeah. I heard they almost managed to take out the team sent to gather info."

The first jonin-sensei laughed at that. "Like anyone out there could manage to take out the Ino-Shika-Cho team. Not bloody likely."

The second man shrugged. "All I know is that they had that kid and his dogs with them and they nearly got caught in an ambush."

"What kid?"

"You know the one...that Hatake brat. I heard he nearly screwed up the whole operation."

Gai had to place both his hands over his mouth to keep from yelling at the jonin for bad-mouthing his friend. Was the mission they were talking about the reason Kakashi looked so very tired?

Before he could think too much more on the subject, he heard his dad's voice enter the conversation. "If you two are going to talk about such things in front of Konoha's impressionable youth, at least have the decency to get your facts straight. Kakashi Hatake and his pack of nin-hounds are the reason Konoha will have time to prepare for this war. Would you have preferred that we learned of such a betrayal by our former ally by having them attack Konoha directly?"

Gai's eyes went wide at how his dad was speaking to the sensei. And a small bubble of pride ran through him at how his dad stood up for his friend. But all this talk of attacks and war confused him. How could they possibly be going to war? It was a beautifully sunny day. Besides, he and Kakashi hadn't even managed to have their spar yet.

Gai was snapped back to attention when one of the Hokage's aides called them to order. After a long-winded speech about the glory of serving the Village of Konoha, which Gai felt he could have delivered in a much more youthful and uplifting manner, he and the other genin were split into teams to start gathering water and food supplies to stock the safety rooms hidden within the great Hokage monument. They'd been so busy following their instructions that all thoughts of his Eternal Rival left Gai's head completely.


	11. Just Another Day

Chapter 11

Just Another Day

Hiruzen Sarutobi had been called many things in his lifetime; friend, teammate, lover, father, sensei, professor, even Hokage. But there was one thing he had _never_ been called...and that was a fool. So he was at a loss for just why his one-time teammates would think for a moment that he would even _start_ to consider their proposition. Perhaps the rigors of being counselors had finally gotten to the two Elders, and it was time for him to start thinking about replacing them. Or perhaps they simply needed time away from the Village in order to realize that what they were asking him to do was beyond insane.

"Are you listening to us, Hiruzen?"

The stern tone of Koharu Utatane's voice made it clear she felt he was taking too long to respond to their ridiculous demand. Hiruzen crossed his arms as he stared back at the two people in Konoha who he had thought knew him better than his own wife did. But, after this afternoon's meeting with them, he wasn't so sure about that any more. He chose his words carefully before addressing their request.

"Koharu, Homura, I understand your belief that we are in need of more jonin in our ranks, especially with the threat of war coming sooner than we had expected. But I'm afraid I cannot, and _will not,_ condone commissioning a _child_ into the ranks of jonin."

Homura Mitokado stood up from where he was seated and leaned on the edge of Hiruzen's desk. "Kakashi Hatake is no more a child than _you_ are! Did you even bother to read the report from his last mission? Every member of the observation team assigned to watch the boy reported the same thing...Kakashi Hatake displayed jonin-level skills when he dispatched nearly a dozen of the Iwa shinobi single-handed. He has mastered his summoning contract, and those beasts proved quite useful in the mission as well. His skill with jutsu is far beyond that of some of our younger jonin already. There is no sane reason why you shouldn't sign his promotion papers right here and now!"

The man emphasized his words by tapping one thick finger against the papers sitting on the desk. Hiruzen didn't even have a chance to respond before Koharu added her two-cents from where she was leaning back comfortably in her chair with a smug look across her face. "You have said it yourself, Hiruzen, that the boy is a genius prodigy. And Homura and I are finally _agreeing_ with you. I would have thought that you would have met this news with something other than stubborn refusal."

"Enough!" Hiruzen stood from his chair and glared down at the two Elders. "If I thought for a moment that either of you actually meant half of what you just said, I might be persuaded to give your recommendation merit. However, considering _just this morning_ you were arguing for the child to be _demoted back to genin_ for having the audacity to demand an audience with me as a Clan Leader, you'll forgive me if your sudden change of heart doesn't sway my decision."

Homura stumbled back to take his seat once more, unable to form a coherent sentence. Meanwhile, his counterpart had no such problem. "Hiruzen...you need to stop making this personal. That boy is an asset to this village, and as such, he should be used in the capacity that will best serve us in the coming war!"

Hiruzen closed his eyes and shook his head at the woman's logic. "And just how are we best serving Konoha if we push the child into something he is not mentally ready for?"

A sharp laugh from Koharu preceded her next words. "Are you finally admitting that the boy is as unstable as his father was?"

Hiruzen glared hard at the woman. "I am admitting nothing of the sort, Koharu. What I _am_ admitting to is the fact that Kakashi is _only eight years old_! He still has much mental growing to do before I will find him ready to take on the mantle of jonin. And I will _not_ have you use the excuse of an upcoming war as a reason to potentially cripple that growth!"

Homura seemed to finally find his voice again. "You would sacrifice Konoha's safety for the sake of a single child?"

Hiruzen sighed. "That child, and _every_ child within this village, _is_ Konoha."

The two Elders were silent. Hiruzen took that moment and crossed over to the wall of windows that overlooked the streets of Konoha. He clasped his hands at the small of his back and addressed them without turning away from the window.

"It is only through the careful nurturing of our children that Konoha will ever survive the upcoming war. _They_ are the future. And I will not sacrifice any of them before their time."

He heard the two Elders stand, and he braced himself for yet another argument, but it never came. Instead he heard the sound of his door being opened. He forced himself to stay turned toward the window, even as Koharu's parting words floated across the room.

"We will let this go for now, Hiruzen. But know this...we will continue to watch the boy closely, and when we feel he has grown enough, we will make certain he is promoted...even if we need to go over your head to the Daimyou to make it happen."

Hiruzen gave no reply, and he didn't move from his spot by the window until well after he'd heard the door to his office close once more. When he finally returned to his desk he took the papers the Elders had pushed at him earlier and took great care to mark the document as rejected. After that, he found himself feeling that perhaps it was time to think about who might someday replace him as Hokage. Whoever he chose would need to be able to handle the likes of Homura and Koharu without bowing to their combined will, or Konoha would pay the price. He leaned back in his chair and wondered just who he might groom for just that purpose.

* * *

Gai sat back on his heels at the very edge of the First Hokage's stone head and looked down over the village. It seemed strange to see so many people rushing around in the streets when normally, this early in the day, only a few people would be walking around. But, since Kakashi and his team had returned to Konoha, nothing had been normal.

That first day, when Kakashi found him to tell him about the gatherings of shinobi, had marked the last day of leisure for anyone within the village. Gai still wasn't really clear on just what a war was...but his dad said that it was gonna mean a lot of changes for just how things happened from now on. And Gai already saw that by how many more shinobi were posted to guard the entrances to the village. And it seemed like none of them wanted to take the time to chat with him any more. Then there was the fact that the Academy was closed until further notice.

Gai really wished that had happened when _he_ was going there, 'cause he never really had enjoyed most of the classes he'd been forced to take...except taijutsu, of course. Heck, he could spend a whole day doing taijutsu and still want to do more! Of course, because of the closing, even his dad was called back into active service. The first day his dad came down to breakfast wearing a shinobi uniform Gai's eyes nearly jumped right out of his head! Especially once he realized his dad was actually a _jonin_! No wonder he had yelled at those other jonin the other day...he was one of them!

The other change that sort of made Gai sad was the fact that there weren't anymore C or D ranked missions being handed out to the genin teams. All official missions were being reviewed for reclassification, and only a handful were even being considered – and those were always A ranked or higher. It meant that the genin teams had to spend all their time inside to village now, doing lots and lots of really boring things. Like when his team was assigned to sweeping out the storage facilities hidden inside this very cliff. But at least he didn't have to clean out the bathrooms in there like his friend Asuma Sarutobi's team had to. When they were finished, they all looked, and smelled, like they'd just been dunked in the swamps out at the edge of Konoha. Gai supposed that sometimes it wasn't a good thing being the Hokage's son if it meant you could still get assigned such gross duties!

Gai had hoped that he might see more of Kakashi now that the village was so closed off, but it turned out his Eternal Rival, even though he was only a chunin, was being assigned more and more of those A ranked missions outside the village. It was getting to the point that Gai was thinking his friend had forgotten all about him.

"What are looking at, Gai?"

The unexpected voice beside him startled Gai and he teetered along the stone edge, windmilling his arms in an attempt to keep from tumbling over the side. Just as he thought for sure that he was about to fall to his death, Gai felt a firm hand grip his wrist and pull him back to safety. While Gai tried to calm his heart down, he heard a quiet chuckle from next to him. Gai was all set to yell at the unwanted laughter until he saw that it was coming from Kakashi!

In an instant, Gai had a wide grin across his face and caught the silver-haired boy up in a huge hug. Instead of Kakashi pushing him off and scolding him, like he _always_ did, his Eternal Rival stiffened in his grasp and hissed three words at him.

"Let go, _now!_"

Something in Kakashi's voice sounded off, and Gai did as his friend ordered as quickly as he could. Once he'd released the silver-haired boy, Gai was able to take a moment to really _look_ at his friend. Kakashi's entire appearance made Gai wonder just what he'd gone through. His hair, although never as neat and tidy as his own glorious haircut, was even more crazy-looking than normal, and his eyes looked dull, even though the sun was shining right on them. Something in how Kakashi was holding himself perfectly tense filled Gai's heart with sadness, but he couldn't quit figure out why.

"S-sorry about that, Kakashi. I just wanted to thank you for saving me from plummeting over the edge and squishing my head on the ground."

It took a moment before Kakashi seemed to realize he'd been spoken to, and Gai stood there scratching his ear, waiting for some kind of response. After Gai had managed to count to four hundred and thirty seven in his head, Kakashi took a deep breath and he shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts.

"You shouldn't lean so far over the edge if you aren't willing to suffer the consequences, Gai."

Gai frowned and perched his fists on his hips. "It wouldn't have happened if you hadn't scared me like that!"

He watched Kakashi roll his eyes. "You're a shinobi. You should have known I was there."

Gai bit at his bottom lip. "How was I supposed to know that, Kakashi? You're even quieter than my dad is!"

Kakashi shrugged. "That's not my problem. But even if you didn't hear my approach, I didn't have my chakra masked at all."

Gai scratched his head. "Your chakra? But chakra doesn't make noise, Kakashi."

"You're kidding, right Gai?"

"I don't remember them ever teaching that at the Academy, Kakashi." Gai chuckled nervously. "Maybe I slept through that class?"

Kakashi frowned at him. "Hasn't your sensei taught you _anything_?"

Gai's mouth dropped open at what his Rival said. He felt he face heat up in anger. "Take that _back_! My Sensei is the most amazing jonin out there! He has spent countless hours teaching me things I never _dreamed_ I'd learn! He taught me how to run _even faster..._and _walk on water..._and even how to...how to...urp!"

Gai stopped his ranting when he realized that, in the passion of the moment, he had pushed Kakashi up against a tree and he was gripping the chunin's collar tight in his fists. This time, Kakashi didn't need to vocalize the need for Gai to let him go, and as he released his Eternal Rival from his grip he hoped he hadn't overstepped the boundary of their friendship.

"Forgive me, Eternal Rival! I never meant to attack you like that!" Gai felt the tears start to form in his eyes. "I will never _forgive_ myself if I have destroyed the blossom of our growing friendship! I will need to think of something to do to make up for it...but _what_? I know! I will do a _thousand_ push-ups...with _one hand_...and then one thousand more with the other hand...to remind me to _never_ use my hands against you again!"

Gai stopped speaking and tried to see if Kakashi was mad at him or not. The chunin simply stood there, staring back at him with those dark eyes, not moving a muscle...and Gai wondered if the boy was okay or not. He was about ask just that when Kakashi blinked once, turned around, and then started walking toward his usual practice field. Gai slumped his shoulders, thinking that perhaps he really had crossed the line this time and lost his best friend.

"You've gotten faster, Gai. Let's spar."

Gai's mouth stretched into a wide grin, and he felt happier than he had in, well..._forever! _He clapped his hands together and ran up to join his Eternal Rival. He knew better than to say anything that might make Kakashi change his mind, but that didn't keep him from whistling happily all the way to the training field.

* * *

Inoichi ran a hand through his hair and pushed it behind his ear. It had been just over a month since they'd returned from the mission, and he had yet to find a way to get close enough to Kakashi to even do a surface scan, let alone the deeper exam he needed to do. And with each day that passed, Kakashi was withering away right before their eyes.

Of course, some of it was likely a side-effect of Kakashi being sent on multiple, back to back, A-ranked solo-missions since they had returned. But Inoichi had this gut feeling that the core of Kakashi's problems lay in whatever it was that'd caused the kid to freeze up back on their own mission. And he owed it to Sakumo-sensei to make it right...if he could. The problem was, his team and Kakashi hadn't crossed paths since they'd all turned in their mission-reports.

A low growl left Inoichi's throat as he took out his frustration on the weeds that had tried to take over his herb garden while he'd been away. The act of pulling the encroaching plants from those which he needed for some of the medicinal salves that Shikaku was working on gave him something to focus on other than his failure to help the boy. He'd been so involved in his task that he likely would have been caught off-guard at Choza's approach if he hadn't caught the telltale aroma of salt and vinegar crisps on the Fall breeze. He cursed himself for his inattention even as he leaned back and wiped the dirt off his hands by running his fingers across the front of his pants.

His friend settled onto the ground beside him and placed a large package wrapped in brown paper between the two of them. Inoichi's eyebrows lifted a fraction of an inch in curiosity over just what the large man was up to this time.

The grin stretched wide across Choza's face made him a bit wary. "You remember what today is, right Ino?"

Inoichi rolled his eyes at the red-haired man. "Aside from being the day I may finally kill you for being so loud, I haven't got the vaguest idea. So why don't you enlighten me?"

Shikaku's deep voice drifted in from the edge of the yard. "I find it troublesome that you aren't away of the significance of this day, Inoichi."

That caused him to frown. It was one thing for Choza to be ambiguous, but for Shikaku Nara to participate as well, it must be something important. Inoichi furrowed his brow as he tried to think of just what he was missing. What could possibly be so special about the fifteenth of September?

And that was when it hit him. It was Kakashi Hatake's birthday! How could he have forgotten that? He supposed that he was so preoccupied with trying to figure out a way to perform a scan on Kakashi that it had simply slipped his mind. But, still, that didn't explain the package sitting on the ground. After all, if there was one constant in Kakashi's life, it was the fact the boy refused to ever accept a single gift on his birthday. He'd even go so far as to walk away the moment a gift was placed in front of him. So, Inoichi and his team had learned other ways to celebrate with the boy that would not result in such a reaction, such as sparring with him and taking him out to eat afterward.

Inoichi turned his gaze toward Choza. "You know Kakashi won't accept a gift."

Shikaku entered the yard completely. "Then it is a good thing that the package is not for him."

Inoichi looked between his two teammates in confusion, but before he could get any idea of just what the hell they were up to, Choza jumped back up to his feet and grabbed the package off the ground. He smiled widely then jumped up to the rooftop.

"Come on, guys! If we expect to catch Kakashi at his favorite training field then we need to go now!"

Shikaku jumped up to join Choza and the two of them headed off across the rooftops toward the Hokage Monument, leaving Inoichi to catch up with them, just like he'd done when they were just genin. Inoichi shook his head at how some things never changed and pushed a bit more chakra into the soles of his feet, hoping he'd understand what they were doing sooner, rather than later.

* * *

Kakashi had to admit that Gai was really starting to shape up as a formidable challenge in taijutsu. If their spar had only included that, then there was probably a fifty-fifty chance that the spandex-wearing fool might have won. But, the moment genjutsu or ninjutsu were introduced to the fight, Gai would start second-guessing himself, or attempting something he just didn't have the skill-level for yet. Gai had noticed this as well and had declared, rather loudly, that he wanted to fight again using only taijutsu.

Kakashi had pointed out that all that would do is make him far too reliant on only taijutsu, and that might prove fatal to his teammates or even himself somewhere down the road. Gai, as usual, overreacted, and shed more tears in ten minutes than Kakashi felt he himself had over the last seven years combined. Eventually Gai had settled down, as much as he ever does, and declared he needed to rush home and capture Kakashi's 'words of wisdom' before he forgot them. The crazy kid ran off mumbling about how he had to find a way to carry pads of paper _and_ twenty stones or he'd have to run forty-three laps around Konoha...backwards.

Sometimes Kakashi wondered just why he kept letting Gai anywhere near him. He sighed and moved toward one of the practice yards off to the side of the training ground. There was still enough light left in the day that he should be able to make it all the way through the latest kata that he'd created to increase his stamina and hand-sign speed. He was so engrossed in it that, once he sensed the Trio standing off to the side, he wasn't exactly sure how long they'd been there. Kakashi did not let their presence interrupt his routine, and pushed himself to finish completely before even acknowledging them. And once he did acknowledge them, he wished he'd ignored them after all.

"Happy birthday, Kashi!" Choza's over-the-top proclamation made Kakashi eternally grateful that Gai was not present to overhear him.

Thankfully, Inoichi and Shikaku's good wishes were presented in a much more human tone. Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the three and he heaved a tired sigh. "I really don't have time for this."

Inoichi crossed his arms over his chest. "And just what is so urgent that you can't at least have dinner with us, Kakashi?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "I have a mission at dawn."

Shikaku stepped forward and stared at him with an intensity that almost made Kakashi flinch...almost. "Didn't you just get back from a mission this afternoon?"

"Yeah. And I was handed another one the moment I turned in my report." He couldn't quite keep the weariness out of his voice.

Choza chuckled, drawing Kakashi's attention to where the big man was settling himself on the ground. "Maybe next time you shouldn't turn your mission report in so quickly."

Kakashi thought about that and realized the man actually had a good point. Even if the Hokage had still wanted him to be assigned the next mission, at least he could have relaxed in a hot shower before having to think about what the next mission would be. But before he could think about the suggestion any father, he noticed the large brown-paper wrapped package in Choza's lap.

"You know I don't accept gifts, Choza."

"Then it's a good thing that this isn't for you!"

Now, as much as it pained him to think it, Kakashi found his curiosity piqued. He shoved his hands into his pockets and slowly strolled over to where the package sat perched on the man's knees. "So then, who's it for?"

Shikaku settled next to Choza and placed one hand, palm down on the ground. "Come sit with us and we will explain who the gift is for."

Kakashi eyed the dark-haired jonin suspiciously as he moved a bit closer. He noted that Inoichi had sat on the other side of Shikaku, in perfect Ino-Shika-Cho formation. Kakashi stopped directly in front of the three men and frowned.

"I should be training."

This time, it was Inoichi who responded. The look in the man's eyes showed exactly what he felt of Kakashi's comments, even if his words hadn't. "You shouldn't be pushing yourself, Kakashi. When is the last time you've slept through a full night?"

Kakashi scratched at the back of his neck and glared hard at the man. "That's not your concern, Inoichi."

It looked as though the blond jonin was all set to say something else but Choza's words stopped him. "So, are you going to open the package or not?"

Kakashi let loose a frustrated sigh. "I thought you said it wasn't for me?"

Choza's grin looked like it would split the man's face in two. "That's what I said, alright."

"So then why would I need to open it?"

This time Shikaku chimed in. "Because the recipients don't have hands."

The three of them were starting to give him a headache. Kakashi gave up and settled onto the ground in front of them. His butt had barely made contact with the dirt before Choza shoved the package onto his lap. It seemed to be a box that was wrapped entirely in unmarked brown paper, giving away nothing about its contents. The thick twine tied in knots to keep it securely closed tempted him like nothing else had in years. He took one last look at the trio before pulling out a kunai and swiftly slicing the fastenings. All three watched his every move with such intensity that Kakashi was beginning to fear that this might be some type of trap that would be sprung the moment he pulled the wrappings off the package. He stretched his own chakra out to verify these were actually the trio sitting in front of him before he finally worked up the nerve to pull the brown wrapping away from the box.

Kakashi looked at what was uncovered and frowned. The box, much like the wrappings surrounding it, was unmarked. It could have any number of things within it. He had to stop for a moment and force the eagerness he was beginning to experience from manifesting on his face. After all, it wouldn't do if he showed these three that he was enjoying the experience of opening a gift...even if it _wasn't_ for him.

So, with one last breath in and out, Kakashi lifted the cover to the box off and he frowned at what he discovered. Within the box, staring straight up at him, sat a bright and happy Henohenomoheji of a scarecrow set in a field of dark blue. He looked back up to find the trio staring back at him expectantly. He scratched at his ear.

"Is this supposed to be a joke?"

Choza's lips fell into a frown from obvious disappointment. "What's wrong with them, Kakashi? Do you think another color would have worked better?"

Kakashi just stared at the large man in confusion. What the hell was he even talking about? Shikaku's quiet chuckle caught and held Kakashi's attention.

"Why don't you take them _all_ out, Kid. Maybe then it will make more sense to you."

So Kakashi proceeded to pull out, not one, but five similar items. He laid them out in front of him and took a moment to study them. They were all the same basic design. Each appeared to be a vest made in the blue material with the scarecrow blazoned on their back. No two were the same size, ranging from very small to ridiculously large. In addition to the vests were five Konoha headbands, and it was the addition of those to each of the vest that brought a slow smile to Kakashi's face.

Inoichi pulled the empty box away from him and smirked at Kakashi. "Have you figured the puzzle out yet?"

Kakashi responded by biting down hard on his thumb and flawlessly running through the hand-signs needed to summon his nin-hounds to his side. When the smoke cleared, the animals moved toward where the four of them were sitting. Pakkun, as usual, yawned as he moved forward and spoke for the pack.

"What's up, Pup? Another mission so soon?"

Kakashi felt a smile tugging at his lips and found himself glad that his mask hid it from those around him. "Not until tomorrow, Pakkun. Meanwhile, these fools have brought you and the others some gifts."

The rapid thumping of the pug's tail gave away just how excited he was. "Really? This isn't a joke, is it? 'Cause we don't particularly _like_ jokes."

Kakashi feigned indifference and waved toward the outfits lying on the ground. "Look for yourselves."

With that invitation, all five dogs moved to inspect the outfits. Pakkun made quite the show of sniffing the fabric before walking over and plopping himself down in front of Choza. "Why, exactly did you make these for us?"

Choza tried to hide a blush behind his meaty hands. "What makes you think I_ made _them_?"_

Pakkun let out a sharp snort of laughter. "Because, _yours_ is the only other scent on the material aside from the Pup. And we all agree that there's no way in hell the kid had enough time to do this."

Kakashi crossed his arms and sighed. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, mutt."

Pakkun looked back over his shoulder at Kakashi and shrugged. "I call 'em like I smell 'em, Pup."

Kakashi frowned. "Fine. And stop calling me Pup."

"Sure thing, Boss." The pug then returned his attention to Choza. "Well?"

Shikaku saved the big man from having to reply. "The Hokage asked that we supply Kakashi with your headbands to show that your all passed the Elders' test and are now considered full shinobi of Konoha. Choza felt that the vests would be a wonderful way of designating that you belong to Kakashi's pack."

Choza finally lowered his hands from his face and smiled down at the dog. "Every member of my clan wears a symbol to designate that they belong. I felt it was only fitting that Kakashi's pack should have their very own way of showing that bond."

Kakashi's eyes went wide at the amount of thought the Akimichi clan-member put into the gift. He'd never for a moment thought of such a thing, but it did make perfect sense. Each animal seemed equally pleased with the explanation, and soon each one managed to picked up their outfits in their jaws and slowly made their way over to where Kakashi was still sitting in stunned silence. Pakkun moved to the front of the line and dropped his bundle on Kakashi's knees.

"Don't just sit there slack-jawed, Boss. Make us yours already!"

This time, Kakashi didn't bother hiding the smile that crept onto his lips. He slowly and carefully placed each outfit on his hounds and found just the right way for each of them to wear their Konoha headband. Of course, that was far easier for some than others. Bull, in particular, proved to be a challenge until Kakashi realized the best place to fasten the item would be the upper leg, as that would be the least likely to continue to grow as the mastiff aged.

When he was finished with the task, and he ran the pack through more than a few skirmishes that probably looked like they were playing to an outside observer, Kakashi walked back over to where the Trio was still seated on the ground watching him. He shoved his hands deep within his pockets and waited for his pack to settle into line on either side of him. Once they were in place, he removed his hands from those pockets and placed them at his sides before bowing low before the three jonin. From the corner of his eye he could see that each and every hound was doing their own version of a bow with him.

"Thank you for the pack's gifts."

He remained in that position for a moment more before standing tall again and shoving his hands back into his pockets. The Trio sat in stunned silence until Choza's stomach chose that very moment to growl in hunger. Kakashi's mask hid a smirk, and Inoichi used the sound as a means to end the silence.

"I think having dinner with you and your pack would be the perfect way to celebrate their becoming members of Konoha's shinobi, don't you, Kakashi?"

Kakashi spared a look to either side of him to see the expectant faces of his pack. Obviously they all agreed with Inoichi's declaration. And Kakashi already knew that there were restaurants located near the Inuzuka compound that would allow his pack to partake in the same meal that he and the Trio would eat. All in all, Kakashi couldn't think of a single reason why they shouldn't go. Still, he couldn't simply agree with Inoichi...that went against the image he'd worked so hard to gain.

"Mah...I don't know, Inoichi. I still have that mission first thing tomorrow. And I wouldn't want these slobs to get their new outfits filthy. They aren't exactly the neatest eaters."

Before Kakashi knew what was happening, he was pinned to the ground by all five of his nin-hounds. Pakkun sat on Kakashi's chest and leveled one of the fiercest glares he'd ever seen the pug deliver straight at him. When the little dog spoke, the threat of being bitten hung on his every word.

"You better have been joking, Pup."

Kakashi couldn't keep the smile out of his voice. "About the mission? Nope."

A series of playful nips and barks followed as Kakashi and his pack rolled around on the ground in a mock play for power...until Shikaku's voice interrupted them, that is. "Although your bonding is entertaining, Kakashi, Choza needs to be fed. Are you coming?"

The promise of food was all it took to cause the pack to abandon Kakashi and fall into step behind the Trio as they headed for the stairs down to the village. Kakashi pushed himself to his feet and brushed the excess dirt off his clothing.

"Hn...so much for loyalty."

Pakkun turned back to face him. "When given the choice between you and steak, Boss...the steak will win every time."

Kakashi frowned, while the Trio chuckled. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and followed silently behind them. Although he was pouting on the outside, inside he had to admit that this was turning into a pretty good birthday.

* * *

Inoichi kept a keen eye on Kakashi throughout their shared meal at the bar-b-que in the Inuzuka District. At first, he hadn't thought that Shikaku's plan would work, but later that night he found out the Nara had actually already convinced Pakkun to help them in their task. So with the evening half over, the pack and his teammates were sated from far too much grilled meat, in his opinion. Now the only thing left was to hope Shikaku had gotten the dosage right in the tea they'd given Kakashi to drink with his meal.

It was the only way any of them could think of that would allow them the chance to let Inoichi get close enough to the paranoid boy to be able to gain access to the level of mindscape he'd need to discover just what Kakashi was hiding. And as Kakashi let loose a large yawn and rubbed absently at his left eye, it was plain the boy would be unconscious soon.

Inoichi motioned to the staff to bring the check, wanting to make sure that they were able to leave the moment Kakashi succumbed to the drugged concoction. Inoichi watched as another yawn escaped Kakashi's mouth and the boy finally leaned his head against his folded arms, flat against the table. Pakkun crossed the table top until he was nearly eye to eye with Inoichi.

"Listen up! I'm only doing this 'cause you said you can help the Pup. He's no good to any of us if he doesn't get over whatever the hell it is that's got him tied up in knots." Pakkun bared his teeth. "But if I find out you hurt the kid at all, know this...we'll hunt you down and make sure you can _never_ sire your own pups. Am I clear?"

Inoichi had to resist the urge to chuckle at the small dog and his serious message. After all, it was quite obvious that the animal's feeling on the matter were shared by every one of the beasts, including Bull, who could very well deliver on the threat with one bite from his massive jaws. "Understood, Pakkun. And thank you again for your help. You kept him sufficiently distracted enough times that we were able to administer the drug undetected."

Pakkun huffed in his face. "Yeah, well, let's keep that part away from the Boss, okay?"

Without waiting for Inoichi's answer, Pakkun walked back over to the rest of the pack, and with a single nod, he and the pack disappeared in a series of puffs of smoke. Inoichi sighed and turned to where Shikaku was already scooping the small boy into his arms. He saw the tender look that crossed his normally indifferent friend's face and smiled to himself. As much as Shikaku Nara moaned about how troublesome raising a family was likely to be, the man seemed to have an innate ability to care for those around him. And when Kakashi shifted within Shikaku's arms and the self-proclaimed bachelor pulled the boy protectively into his chest, Inoichi knew the man would make a wonderful father someday.

Choza finished paying for the meal and waved off the owner's concern for the sleeping boy with the promise that they would make sure he was well cared for tonight. His teammates headed out the door and toward where they knew Kakashi's apartment was, and Inoichi could only hope that the rest of their plan went as smoothly. A sharp rumble of thunder and a flash of lightning across the sky made him flinch slightly, and he pushed the urge to count it as an omen far from his mind before following the others to where he'd be working to discover just what secrets Kakashi's mind held.


	12. Mindscapes and Hand Signs

Chapter 12

Mindscapes and Hand Signs

The first thing Inoichi and the rest of the trio did, once they arrived at Kakashi's apartment, was to fish through the boy's pouches until they found the mission scroll that he'd been given earlier in the day. Shikaku had been the one to discover its location – sealed into an inner pocket of Kakashi's chunin vest – and by the look on his face, the mission wasn't a simple one.

Shikaku's deep voice vocalized the concern they all felt for the young boy. "It appears the Elders are attempting to break the boy."

Choza moved over to his side. "What makes you so sure, Shika?"

"Mission scrolls carry more than just the mission parameters. They also carry a string of characters buried within the assignment number that show who the requester of the mission is. It enables the clerks in the Mission Office to properly bill the correct person once the mission is completed. Of the last twelve missions assigned to Kakashi, nine of them were at the Elders' request."

Inoichi knew Shikaku worked in that office during his down time, so he had no doubts that the man knew what he was saying. Still, he needed to know more about Kakashi's current assignment than who assigned it.

"How long do we have, Shikaku?"

His teammate scowled and turned his attention back to the document in his hands. Meanwhile, Inoichi was arranging Kakashi on his bed in such a way that he'd be able to sit behind the boy and place his hands comfortably on the boy's head. Considering Kakashi was barely long enough to take up a third of the bed on his own, it was rather easy to accomplish. Once he was finished, he looked back up to where the Nara was still engrossed in the scroll.

"Shikaku! How long does it take to find the mission duration? I need to know if I'll have time for this or not."

His friend let loose a large sigh and moved over to sit on the floor next to the bed. "It gives a due date of one and a half weeks from now. So I am certain that even you can accomplish what needs to be done in that time-frame."

Choza sat on the edge of the bed and, with a speed that most never thought the large man could accomplish, he snatched the scroll from Shikaku's fingers. After scanning the characters himself, he rolled the parchment up and tossed it back to Shikaku before speaking his thoughts.

"This one's just a fact-finding mission. Looks like it was just a way to keep the kid out of the village some more. So, worst case, Shika and I can handle the mission while you work with Kakashi."

A glance toward Shikaku showed Inoichi that he agreed with Choza's assessment. "Alright, then. Which one of you will play the role of our dear chunin tomorrow morning?"

Another deep sigh from Shikaku was followed by a series of hand signs and a small puff of smoke. Where the tall, dark-haired jonin had been sitting a moment before, there was now a perfect copy of Kakashi Hatake...right down to his trade-mark scowl. After a moment, the jutsu was reversed and Shikaku smirked at him.

"It wasn't as bothersome as it could have been, considering we used to practice transforming into Sakumo-sensei for all those years. I just had to make it smaller."

Inoichi chuckled at his friend before growing serious once more. "Okay, we have five days before we are expected to report for duty again. That gives me today to perform the cursory scan, and the next two days to find out what the kid is hiding. Then, I'll have two more days to find a way to fix it all."

Choza pulled a stack of papers out that he'd 'borrowed' from the archives about the last mission of Team Minato, and placed them on his knees. Inoichi watched his friend scanning each one and flipping them over until he finally lifted a few pages up and frowned. The man's voice held an edge to it as he handed the pages over.

"It's a pretty spotty mission report. Looks like no one ever bothered to go back and fill in the holes."

Inoichi read over the the first page and frowned. There wasn't much to go on. Just a typical A-ranked assignment to retrieve a scroll that reportedly held some damning information about the Daimyou's nephew. There was spotty information about the document itself, and nothing at all about who might have that document. He flipped to the next page and his eyes narrowed at what he read.

Shikaku seemed to sense his tension. "What did you find, Inoichi?"

He handed the sheet over to his friend and hoped he'd been mistaken when he read the name of the town that Kakashi's team had been sent to. That hope disappeared the moment his friend's lips spoke that name out loud.

"Shitajiki...dammit."

"Umm, guys...what's the big deal?"

Choza's baffled tone reminded Inoichi that the big man had been in the hospital back when he and Shikaku had been assigned to infiltrate that particular town a few years back. He pushed his sleeves up and settled into a comfortable position before running through a complex series of hand-signs. He knew Shikaku would explain the significance of that town, while he tried to heal what was likely to be some of the worst mental damage that any child would have to experience. After all, that town was known to be the center of one of the oldest and cruelest sex-rings in the Five Great Countries. And, as he and Shikaku learned during their time there, they tended to specialize in supplying the youngest victims to those willing to pay the price. Which, they also learned, included more than a few very rich, morally bankrupt men and women.

Kakashi's bizarre reactions back in the forest made perfect sense now. The way he'd frozen when he was held within the grasp of the bastard during their mission was a perfect example of what exposure to the inner circle of Shitajiki could cause . And there was no guarantee, that should Kakashi be caught in another similar situation in the future, that he wouldn't react in the same way, and then he might find himself at the mercy of whatever sick bastards happened to grab a hold of him once more.

Inoichi pushed back a shudder that threatened to break his concentration, and instead activated the jutsu that would allow him to access his former Sensei's only child's mind. He braced himself for what he'd find, and so he was ready for the immediate assault on his senses as he sank into a world of shadows, blood and pain.

A normal eight year old's mind should have been full of hopes and dreams. Occasionally it might have a spot or two of darkness, but mostly there would be innocence and brightness. But Kakashi Hatake was as far removed from being a normal eight year old as he'd ever seen. And the boy's mindscape was a perfect example of that. Everywhere Inoichi turned he was confronted by darkness. And as he spun around trying to find the boy's essence, he found himself in a forest of dark, twisted leafless trees. He tipped his head up and was faced with a sky of spinning red-tinged clouds with an occasional bolt of bright white lightning tearing through them. All around him he could hear rolling thunder, and if he listened carefully enough he could just make out a low growling of something less than human.

Inoichi pushed back a sense of deep fear he felt coming from all sides and, instead, searched the surroundings for any sign of the silver-haired boy. He wandered through the dark forest, dodging the sharp branches of the trees as they stretched toward him and seemingly tried to hinder his search. But Inoichi didn't stop. In fact, the more the branches lunged for him, the more certain he was that he was on the right path.

He pushed on until he'd made it to a small clearing. Within that grassy area he thought he'd spied the boy kneeling in its center, so he crossed the ground until he could clearly see the silver hair that had caught his attention actually was on a grown man. And what he'd assumed was grass turned out to be tatami mats.

Before that information could fully be digested within Inoichi's consciousness, the man hunched forward as though he'd just been punched in the stomach. A sickly sweet, almost coppery smell encompassed him as he watched one of the man's arms fall silently to his side while he hunched even farther forward. The dark red stain that spread out around the man made it clear to Inoichi that he'd just witnessed Kakashi's memory of Sakumo-sensei's final moments.

This was confirmed when a much smaller version of the boy moved on silent feet toward the dead man. Inoichi held down his sudden desire to warn the child to stay alive, calling to mind his own father's teachings regarding interactions with the mind being scanned. But as little Kakashi stretched one small hand out to touch his father's shoulder, Inoichi couldn't bear to watch as the dead man's body started tipping over to pin the young child with its dead weight. He turned away from the scene and felt his stomach twist as Kakashi's screams of anguish filled the area.

Inoichi steadfastly attempted to block the frightening sound from his mind, but in the end the only way to escape it was to return into the twisted trees surrounding the clearing. And even then, he continued to her those wails until, at last, they were drowned out by what seemed to be a wolf's cry echoing through the dark trees.

Inoichi used one of the many breathing exercises he'd learned over the years in order to calm his racing heart and push back his growing desire to separate from Kakashi's mind. Once he was certain the moment of panic had been quelled he pushed on into the gnarled trees, putting as much distance as he could between himself and that disturbing scene.

Soon he came upon another clearing in the forest. This time the area was impossible to mistake for anything other than what it was. There was a dark wooden floor bearing dark stains that appeared to be old next to brighter stains that couldn't be anything other than fresh blood smeared across the planks. Once Inoichi stepped onto that floor, he watched as walls slid into place all around him. There was a distinct chill in the air, and a moment later he saw a large desk appear in the center of the room. Inoichi blinked and when he next focused on that desk he saw a small dark-haired boy lying on his back on the top of it, stripped of all but his briefs. Perhaps this was some scene Kakashi had stumbled upon.

Inoichi frowned and took a step closer, his movement causing the small child to turn his head toward him. That was the moment when Inoichi recognized the far too intelligent gaze of Kakashi Hatake staring back at him, and he remembered that the boy's mission to Shitajiki had required him to disguise himself as a dark-haired youth. He felt his throat constrict the closer he got to the desk, and he stopped with eyes wide open when he saw the dozens of cuts scattered across Kakashi's chest. Just what the hell happened to the kid?

Before he had a chance to ponder that question anymore, he watched Kakashi's eyes grow as wide as saucers and his body begin to shiver. Inoichi wanted to move closer and sweep the obviously terrified child into his arms, but before he could take a single step, a circle of shadowy figures seemed the flow up out of the floor to surround the desk. Inoichi had to remind himself that this was only a memory, and he had to let it run its course or he'd never be able to help Kakashi heal, but as the tortured screams of the young boy echoed off the walls, he found it harder and harder to stand there and do nothing.

But then the screams stopped, as though someone had flipped the power switch off on a tape recorder. And within that silence, Inoichi found himself almost wanting to hear the screams again, if only to show that the boy was still among the living. Which, of course was ridiculous, considering he already knew that Kakashi had survived this encounter. Still, when sound finally returned to the room, it caused Inoichi to flinch. The only thing he could compare it to was the growl that a wounded animal might make when they were forced into a corner.

What happened next, even if Inoichi witnessed it a thousand times, he doubted he'd ever truly understand it. The walls all around him became painted with large swaths of crimson, while the air around him became thick with the smell of death. The growling grew in volume until it almost drowned out the screams filling the room. Those screams were quite different than those from before. Instead of the anguished pleas from a child, these were from the throats of the men, who moments before had been abusing the boy.

The screams and swaths of blood – for there was nothing else that could possibly have matched the shade smeared along the walls – continued for countless moments, until Inoichi found himself face to face with the cause of the chaos. Crouched in front of him was the naked form of Kakashi Hatake. The boy's body was covered with various wounds, from his collar bone all the way down to just above his knees. Inoichi could also make out various bruises which were unmistakably caused by someone's fingers clasping too tightly around the boy's arms and legs. But it was Kakashi's eyes that caught and held his attention.

There was a cold, almost inhuman look to those normally intelligent dark orbs. And for a moment, Inoichi could actually feel the killing intent rolling off the boy in his direction. Now, if he had come across this scene in the physical world he would have expected that, but within a target's mind, there should been no awareness of his presence at all. But somehow Kakashi _knew_ he was there. And worse than that, the boy made it quite clear that his visit was over when he twisted his lips into a feral grin and uttered two words.

"Get out!"

That was when Inoichi felt his essence physically expelled from Kakashi's mind...rather forcefully. In the physical world, his head snapped back as his eyes opened wide, and he couldn't quite keep a groan of pain from slipping through his lips. He looked down at the sleeping form of his Sensei's only child and frowned. Inoichi wasn't quite so vain as to think he'd mastered everything there was to learn about scanning a mind...no, not at all. However, he was considered one of the best when it came to cursory scans. Hell, even his father had said his presence in a mind was akin to a gentle breeze blowing across a river...natural and not discernible from the normal background noise in a mind.

So then, just how had Kakashi, a boy of eight, been able to not only sense him, but expel him from his mindscape? Sure, he knew kid was much smarter than the average person, but he'd never expected that his genius would include something that, up to now, had been thought to be strictly a blood-line ability. And why was it that when he'd locked his gaze on the boy within Kakashi's mind it had felt almost animalistic?

Choza's hand on his shoulder shook him out of his thoughts. He looked toward his lifelong friend and smiled at the look of concern covering his tattooed face.

"I'm okay, Choza. It just didn't go quite like I was expecting it to."

He watched Choza's gaze shift to where Kakashi was lying. "Did you figure out what happened to him?"

"Yeah. Looks like the kid already has more bad memories than most of the jonin I know."

"Ino, is he too broken to fix?"

Inoichi shook his head slowly. "I honestly don't know."

Shikaku's deep voice managed to sum it all up, as usual. "We can't let the Elders learn of this. They'll find some way to use it to hurt the boy even more."

Choza frowned and crossed his thick arms in front of him. "Yeah. Especially Danzou."

Inoichi rubbed at the throbbing at his temple – likely an aftereffect of his unexpected ejection from Kakashi's mind. "Choza, what are you talking about?"

The larger-than-life man settled on the floor. "That old man has been following Kakashi around for nearly two months now. At first, I just thought it was coincidence that the two ended up in the same places so often."

Shikaku rubbed at his ear...a sign that he was starting to think things through like only he could. "What made you change your mind, Cho?"

"I went up to Kakashi's favorite training ground to try and get an idea of the sizes of his ninken without letting the kid know about what I was planning to do. Well, while I was hidden in a nearby tree, I saw that bandaged old fool stake out a position just to the north of me."

Inoichi watched with concern as the big man's hands curled into fists. "What else happened. Choza?"

"He had one of those masked creeps with him."

Now Inoichi was confused. "Why would Danzou standing with an ANBU cause you to be so worried, Choza?"

His friend glared at him. "It wasn't ANBU, Ino. Hell...I wish it _had_ been! But their mask was _blank!_"

Inoichi looked toward Shikaku for some clarity to their friends comments. Thankfully, Shikaku took the hint.

"There have been rumors of an underground division of shinobi that pledge their loyalty to the Elders, rather than to the Hokage and the Village." Shikaku frowned. "I had truly hoped it really was just a rumor, but it sounds like it may be true...and that Danzou is involved."

Inoichi was getting frustrated. Both of his friends failed to answer the one question that continued to bother him. "What does any of that have to do with Kakashi?"

"Everything." Shikaku ran one hand across the back of his neck. "This new branch of shinobi enlists only the youngest, most promising children into their ranks."

Inoichi's gaze shifted down toward Kakashi's face. "And just what is it that makes that such a bad thing?"

Choza's face turned red as he responded. "Danzou is trying to raise a super-smart army of top-class shinobi who will only answer to him! Isn't that enough?"

Shikaku stepped over to stand at the foot of the bed. "If that _isn't_ enough, Inoichi, how about you remember the time Sakumo-sensei told us about the day Kakashi took his entrance exam for the Academy?"

But before they could discuss the topic any farther, their attention was drawn to the small child on the bed. His hands balled into loose fists and were lifted until he could rub them against his sleep-crusted eyes. A huge yawn followed – one that was easy to see through the skin-tight mask covering the boy's lower face. A moment later and Kakashi's eyes – so like his father's – focused on the three faces of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Inoichi smiled softly at the boy which, in turn, caused a slight frown to furrow Kakashi's brow. His voice still held the edges of sleep.

"Why are you all here?"

Inoichi responded for them all. "We brought you home after dinner."

A look of uncertainty crossed the boy's face and Inoichi could just make out a faint blush along the top of his mask. "I didn't faint again, did I?"

While the other two in the room failed miserably at hiding their laughter, Inoichi ruffled Kakashi's silver locks while trying to bolster the boy a bit. "No Kakashi. You didn't faint. You just fell asleep."

The look of relief on Kakashi's face was almost enough to push aside the amazement in Inoichi's mind over the fact the boy was already awake. After all, they'd slipped the chunin more than enough sedative to keep him out for at least the entire night, and here he was waking up after just a handful of hours. Which unfortunately meant it'd be awhile before he could risk entering the kid's mind again. But based on the boy's confused reaction to their presence, it seemed as though Kakashi didn't remember the encounter within his mind. Which made Inoichi all the more eager to go back to his father's house and do some research on just what might have caused Kakashi to notice him and kick him out of his mind.

He'd leave the potential trouble with Danzou, and that man's desire to recruit Kakashi for his private army, to his teammates. He needed to concentrate on finding some way to ease the pain and suffering the kid seemed to be unable to let go of within his mind. It was the least they could do for their former Sensei's child.

* * *

Gai watched his sensei perform the needed hand-signs and chewed on his bottom lip while he tried his best to remember the order. After all, anytime a jutsu required more than four hand-signs it made it that much harder for him to remember which ones came next. Still, he knew that if he could just keep the order straight he'd be that much closer to being eligible for higher ranked missions. And if he kept at it, it would just be a matter of time before he too would become a chunin...just like his Eternal Rival!

With that goal in mind, Gai rubbed his hands together before launching into what should be a basic earth jutsu that would lift a pillar of mud out of the ground. He concentrated so hard that he didn't hear the warning his sensei was shouting at him, so when he shaped the final sign he'd been entirely unprepared for the ground to open up directly under his feet! Gai's eyes went wide, and he tried his hardest to spring away from the growing pit, but there was nothing under his feet to find purchase on. He could just make out his sensei's anguished cries as he fell further down the hole.

Gai braced himself for what was likely going to be a rather painful landing, when he felt strong arms grip him around his waist. A moment later, his body was changing direction and soaring back up to the surface. When his feet were once again on solid ground, the arms around his waist let him go and Gai was able to turn and see who his savior was, planning to thank them. Or he _would_ have thanked them if they hadn't already walked away from him and toward his sensei. But one glance at the mop of silver hair made it clear his savior was none other than Kakashi Hatake!

Gai hurried after his friend, desperate to share his gratitude, but as he got closer it became clear that Kakashi was more than a bit angry. Gai quickly thought back to what, if anything, he had done to incur the wrath of his Rival. But he'd barely even seen Kakashi over the past four months, so he didn't think it was anything he had done. And now that he'd caught up with him, Gai could plainly see that it was actually Kouzou-sensei who was on the receiving end of Kakashi's anger.

Gai moved closer so he could hear what was going on. Having been witness to an angry Kakashi before, back when he'd made the mistake of asking about why he had to wear that stupid mask everyday, Gai knew better than to expect a loud outburst. No. Kakashi wasn't someone to raise his voice when he was mad. Instead he'd glare with a look that made you feel like you might burst into flame, and every word was spoken very softly and felt like a slap in the face. Kakashi was just that cool.

"Kouzou-sensei, is there some reason why you would teach Gai an A-ranked jutsu without warning him of its effects?"

Gai watched in awe as his sensei actually looked nervous before his Eternal Rival. "I would never do that!"

Kakashi tipped his head to the side and shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts. "I see. So then how do you explain that big hole over there?"

Now Gai noticed his sensei's face flush bright red in what he knew all to well was anger. "What are you implying, kid? That isn't the jutsu I taught Gai! He was supposed to just form a small earthen pillar!"

Kakashi didn't say anything for a handful of minutes before he turned around to face Gai. The chunin stared at him a moment longer before he sighed.

"Gai, can you show me what hand-signs you used?"

He smiled at Kakashi and went on to form the first sign. Kakashi's hand settled on Gai's, causing him to look up at his friend in confusion.

"Don't use your chakra, Gai. Just show me the signs, okay?"

Gai gave a toothy smile before nodding his head and furrowing his brow in deep concentration. By the time he'd reached the sixth hand-sign he was chewing on his bottom lip, and he heard his sensei give an exasperated sigh. When Gai finished, Kakashi was shaking his head at him.

"Wasn't that right, Kakashi?"

"Gai, those signs are perfect...if you want to create a hole like the one behind you. You mixed up the last four hand-signs, and by the size of the hole you ended up with, you put way too much chakra into it."

Gai's eyes went wide and his bottom lip quivered. But before he could say a word, Kakashi raised his hands in front of him and disappeared in a spiral of leaves. Gai marveled at the way his Rival exited, and he moved to stand in front of Kouzou-sensei. He looked up at the man with barely contained excitement.

"Sensei, can you teach me to do _that_? Can you..._pleeease_?"

A deep chuckle came from his sensei's throat, making it clear the man's previous anger wasn't directed at Gai. "One day, I'll teach you that Gai. But how about we figure out a way for you to remember more than four signs in a row, hmm?"

Gai frowned. "But that jutsu only took _one_ sign. Wouldn't it be easier to learn that one?"

Kouzou-sensei squatted until he was eye to eye with Gai. "That jutsu may only have one visible hand-sign, but for it to work the user needs to have mastered maintaining perfect control over their chakra flow through all eight Gates within their body. Have you done that yet, Gai?"

Gai blinked at his sensei and scratched his head. "Eight Gates? So I can't learn that super-cool jutsu until I master the Gates?"

His sensei smiled at him. "That's right, Gai. And that won't be for awhile yet."

"That will not do, Sensei! I need to learn about the Gates now, please!"

"Gai, you can't learn about the Gates until you've shown me you can remember more than six hand-signs for a basic jutsu."

Gai gave his sensei a gleaming smile and a double thumbs-up. "I will take that challenge, Kouzou-sensei! And then you will teach me the secrets to the Gates!"

With that, Gai walked over to his back-pack, sat on the ground, and pulled out a scroll that his sensei had given to him weeks ago that detailed the proper signs for numerous basic jutsu. He probably should have opened it before now, but Gai didn't particularly like to read about things. He much preferred the hands-on approach. But with an incentive like learning about the Eight Gates, he was willing to hunker down and read a whole library!

* * *

Kakashi jumped easily from branch to branch as he made his way back to the outskirts of Fire Country. Ever since he'd woken up surrounded by his Father's old team a week ago, he'd known something was up. He just wasn't quite sure what it was.

Those three jonin had insisted he'd just fallen asleep at his birthday dinner, but none of them really met his eyes for long after he'd woken up, so he knew they weren't being entirely truthful. All he needed to do was figure out what they were hiding. But he really didn't have time to think about it at the moment. He'd completed his mission easily enough, but until he was safely back in Konoha, he was still on duty. That was where his concentration needed to be.

Another twenty minutes at a steady pace and the boundaries of Fire Country were finally in sight. Kakashi only stopped once he was on one of the branches of the first tree in Fire Country. He yawned and leaned back against the trunk, taking his first break that day. He gazed back the way he'd come at a stretch of trees that, to the civilian eye, looked exactly like the tree he was currently standing on. But to a trained shinobi, the differences were like night and day.

For starters, the branches on the trees behind this point grew thinner and more brittle the farther you went. For some of the bulkier shinobi that could be troublesome, but for Kakashi it meant he'd maintain the higher ground for that much longer. Still, when the canopy of leaves grew thicker and thicker, he couldn't help but be glad of the protective cover of his homeland.

He'd made excellent time racing back from his fact-finding mission, and as such he decided a slightly longer break was in order. Kakashi took out a ration bar and started to pull his mask down far enough to eat. He hadn't gotten the dark material any farther than the end of his nose when he felt a ripple of chakra just above him. His meal was forgotten instantly, and he jumped off the branch just as three kunai wedged themselves into the wood where he'd been standing a moment before. Kakashi didn't pause as he let loose a volley of his own kunai at the area that he'd calculated his attacker had been hiding. He heard the low curse as two out of the three weapons found their mark, but before he had the chance to do more than acknowledge that fact, he found himself between two more attackers.

Kakashi frowned when he noted their plain white masks and their body armor. He couldn't place where they might come from, but there was one thing that was crystal clear...they were out for blood – his blood. That point was driven home when both of his attackers drew katana and moved to slice him in half. Kakashi channeled chakra into his body and managed a substitution jutsu just as the tip of one of the blades touched the back of his neck. While the two sword-wielding men struggled to free their katana from the hunk of dead wood that had taken his place, the third attacker had already discovered where Kakashi was hiding. That man was also wearing a nondescript white mask, and came at him with little to no regard for the wounds showing plainly on his left arm and shoulder from Kakashi's kunai.

Kakashi pulled his tanto free from the scabbard on his back, and deftly blocked the katana headed for his body. He pushed away from the attack and twisted his body into a back-bend in order to avoid another swing from the man's blade. He used his position to move into a modified handstand and swing his legs up until the side of his foot made contact with the side of his assailant's masked head. But instead of moving away from his counter attack, the man gripped tightly to Kakashi's ankle and used the momentum to throw his much smaller frame into a nearby tree. The wind was knocked out of Kakashi at the impact, but he didn't let that keep him from rolling back onto his feet and taking a defensive stance.

A moment later and the three men had him surrounded. The one he had injured growled his words from behind his cracked mask.

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be, Hatake."

Kakashi didn't let the words distract him from the other two enemies, so when they moved to grab him he was ready. Using a move similar to the last one used on him, Kakashi grabbed the wrist of the man moving in on him from the left and, adding a bit of chakra to his body, he spun in place and tossed the attacker into the body of the injured man. Then he tucked his body into a ball, narrowly escaping the hands of the final assailant.

Kakashi ran his fingers through a series of hand-signs he remembered Gai using a week ago, and then he channeled the majority of his remaining chakra into the jutsu until he felt the ground beneath him start to give way. At that final moment, he leaped up into air and swung onto a low branch. The masked men below him tried to do the same, but a few well-placed shuriken made it impossible for them to find purchase on the wood.

Two of them fell back into the gaping hole in the ground, while the third one managed to grip the edge and pull himself back onto solid ground. The sound of bones breaking echoed up from the hole, but Kakashi pushed that fact aside as his focus returned to the man who was, even now, shifting his fingers into a series of hand-signs he'd never seen before. He knew better than to stick around to find out what the man was going to unleash, no matter how much his curiosity wanted him to, and so Kakashi did the only thing he could think of in the situation. He ran.

The sound of a torrent of water crashing through the tree he'd just been perched on gave Kakashi the incentive he had needed to push his legs a bit faster. He didn't want to admit it, not even to himself, but he was completely outmatched at the moment. Because of that knowledge, he knew that if he slowed down or faltered at all he'd likely be caught by whoever the hell these guys were.

Kakashi hated the fact that they obviously knew who he was, while he had no clue about them. All he could come up with at the moment was that maybe Minato-sensei had been right when he'd warned Kakashi that he needed to be prepared to fight off bounty hunters now that he had his own page in Bingo Books. Still though, this attack didn't strike him as an attempt to collect a bounty.

He continued running in the direction of the nearest Konoha outpost in the hope of scaring off his attackers with the possibility of reinforcements. If this didn't work, then quite honestly Kakashi had no idea what to try next. By his calculations, his chakra was nearly exhausted, while his enemies likely still had more than enough to make his life difficult. If he hadn't been ordered to maintain a chakra-based disguise during the mission he was returning from, he'd have had more than enough of a chakra reserve to handle these creeps. But, as fate would have it, he'd had to maintain the illusion for six days straight before he'd gotten the information he needed.

Behind him, Kakashi knew the jutsu-throwing man was still tailing him. After all, he could sense the erratic flare of the man's chakra growing closer with every step. So when he finally made it to the outpost he quickly let the lookout know with a few hand-signs that he was being chased. He let out a sharp breath of relief as he watched a team of five shinobi head back the way he'd come. Kakashi allowed himself to be guided into the outpost itself so he could have a chance to explain what happened and to rest before continuing his journey home.

* * *

From behind a tree off to the side of Konoha's farthest outpost, Danzou tightened his grip on the walking cane he'd been using for the better part of the last ten years. A satisfied smirk graced his lips as he watched the young Hatake boy arriving. It was clear by the exhausted state of the child that Danzou's ROOT operatives had definitely encountered him. Now all that was left was to receive what was sure to be an entertaining debriefing from his soldiers.

Considering the spikes in chakra that Danzou could sense from his followers, it was obvious the boy had proven to be more of a challenge than they'd been expecting. Which, of course, made Danzou all the more anxious to lay claim to him before he grew too much older. After all, his training regiment worked best when the mind was still malleable.

Once he was sure the Hatake boy was his, there'd be no stopping his ROOT division from ensuring his place as the rightful leader of Konoha. And then it would only be a matter of time before all of the Land of Fire would be under his control.

He turned away from the outpost and leisurely made his way toward the village. He would wait until he'd received the full report before deciding on his next move. In the meantime, he'd spend some time coming up with the next test of Kakashi Hatake's skills.


	13. A Matter of Perspective

Chapter 13

A Matter of Perspective

Another year had come and gone, and it seemed to Kakashi that the only thing that had changed, apart from his age, was the increase in the number of solo missions that he was being sent on. Each one seemed specifically designed to test his capabilities as a shinobi, rather than to supply any truly useful information for Konoha. Particularly those missions which were followed by encounters with more of those unknown white-masked attackers. But, when Kakashi had brought this observation up to Minato-sensei, the man had frowned at him and claimed that he was simply letting his imagination get the better of him. Never mind that Kakashi wasn't one to give his imagination a second thought. But even if he was, the fact that he always encountered these strange attackers after every mission where he was required to tax his chakra stores to their limits was just too much of a coincidence to ignore

Which brought him to what he was about to do. If his sensei wasn't willing to take his suspicions seriously, then it was time for him to follow shinobi protocol and discuss his worries with the Hokage during his scheduled quarterly review. The Third Hokage was known throughout the Five Great Countries for his wisdom and ability to see through to the truth of the most hidden agendas, so Kakashi was confident that the old man was sure to agree with his analysis. Of course, if the Hokage agreed with Minato-sensei's findings then he'd have to accept that outcome as final. But that was a risk that Kakashi was more than willing to take, because he knew that if these unorthodox mission assignments and attacks continued, the odds were against him for continuing to avoid capture...or worse.

Kakashi sighed and took a moment to straighten his mask and clothing before he stepped up to the thick door to the Hokage's office. He knocked twice on the wood and waited, as required, for the Hokage's deep voice to acknowledge him before he could move to enter the office. When, after several silent moments, there was no such acknowledgment, Kakashi briefly wondered if he'd gotten the days mixed up for his appointment. But no...he knew it was the right day, so he rapped twice more on the solid wood of the door.

This time, a moment after he had knocked, the door was pulled open to reveal the heavily bandaged form of Elder Danzou. The man looked rather annoyed until he caught sight of Kakashi standing in the doorway. A cold, calculating, almost hungry look sparked within the man's dark eye once recognition hit, but it was quickly replaced with the neutral look that the man usually wore. But still, Kakashi couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with the man's attention.

He bowed formally in an attempt to cover his anxiety. "Good afternoon, Elder."

An amused chuckle left Danzou's throat, causing a shiver to run down Kakashi's spine. When he returned to standing, an unsettling smile now graced the man's thin lips. No words were spoken by the Elder, but Kakashi had the feeling that his greeting had somehow pleased the man.

The Hokage's voice interrupted his train of thought. "I'm ready for you now, Kakashi. Please come in."

Kakashi took one last look at the man who was slowly walking down the hallway before shoving his hands deep into his pockets and entering the room. He took his place in front of the Third and was about to bow when the Hokage stopped him with a smile in his voice.

"Now, now, Kakashi. Let's leave the formalities for when it's not just you and me in this room, shall we?"

Kakashi furrowed his brow for a moment before shrugging. "As you wish, Lord Hokage."

He noted a small frown on the older man's lips at his response, but a moment later and the Hokage leaned back in his chair, picking up his pipe from the top of the desk and motioning with it toward the chair beside Kakashi.

"Have a seat, my boy. After all, I hear we have quite a bit to talk about today."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes and frowned. Had Minato-sensei already convinced the man that he was only imagining things? But before he could worry too much about it, the Hokage lit his pipe, blowing a ring of smoke into the air, and chuckled at him.

"Now don't get like that, Kakashi. I simply meant that I've been receiving very encouraging reports back regarding your success rate on your solo missions, and I wanted to know whether you were content with how things are going."

"Content, Lord Hokage?"

Now the old man smirked at him. "Yes...content. Do you feel satisfied?"

Kakashi knew his confusion was showing plainly on his face, but he truly had to wonder what game the old man was up to. "I'm a chunin of the Leaf Village, Lord Hokage. It is my duty to successfully complete all missions assigned to me."

The Hokage took a long draw on his pipe, all the while watching him with an sharp gaze. Once he'd released another impressive circle of smoke, he leaned forward until his elbows were leaning on the edge of his desk. "But are you content?"

Kakashi blinked back at the man. What did he want from him? Why was he asking such a strange question? He narrowed his eyes a bit before finally responding. "Yes?"

The slight frown returned to the Hokage's face, and Kakashi decided the best strategy was to change the topic before things grew any stranger. "Lord Hokage, if you would allow it, I'd like to discuss a concern with you."

For a moment, he feared the man would continue to press the topic of contentment, but he eventually leaned back in his chair once more and let out an obviously frustrated sigh. "Very well, Kakashi. I'll let the subject drop...for now. What concern would you like to discuss?"

He felt the knot of tension in his shoulders loosen a fraction at the old man's response, and then went on to explain his observations over the course of the past year. The Third simply let him speak, stopping him very few times to ask him for clarification on something he had said. When, at last, he'd shared all that he'd wanted to, he waited for the Hokage to give his opinion.

The minutes stretched on in silence, but Kakashi knew that this was because the man was taking everything he'd told him into account before sharing his thoughts. When, at last, the Hokage spoke, Kakashi had to bite back his frustration at just what the man had said.

"So this is why Minato thinks you are letting your imagination run wild?"

Kakashi felt a scowl settle onto his lips, but before he could respond, the old man continued to speak. "But I have known you far longer than Minato, and I know that you would never mention such things if they were flights of fancy, would you? So what I will do, Kakashi, is temporarily remove you from the roster for solo missions..."

Kakashi's eyes went wide. "But Lord Hokage..."

He stopped speaking when the Hokage lifted his hand into the shinobi sign for silence. "Don't worry, my boy, I have something in mind for you that will definitely keep you occupied while I check into your observations."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage."

A comfortable silence settled between the two for several moments. The Hokage slowly drawing on his pipe, while Kakashi simply enjoyed the peace and quiet, wishing that he had a good book to read. Maybe he'd have time to drop by the village book shop before he started whatever it was the old man had in mind. In fact, he was pretty sure that he'd spied a new volume on chakra control in the front window the other day. Of course, he couldn't get a very good look at it because of a much larger display of bright orange books that was taking up most of the window.

"So then, Kakashi, are you ready to continue our earlier discussion?"

For the briefest moment, he'd actually forgotten the Hokage's original question, but the moment that he remembered it, he closed his eyes and let loose a frustrated sigh. "Why is it so important for me to be content? Will it make my kunai any sharper? Can it make my hand-signs any quicker? Or for that matter, can it possibly keep a poisoned senbon from striking my skin?"

When he felt the light pressure of hands on his knees, Kakashi's eyes snapped open and his heart sped up, while visions of his mission to Shitajiki threatened to overtake him. But he wasn't facing the one-eyed bald man this time. He locked eyes with those of the far older man that was squatting in front of him with his robes pooling around his feet, and in that instant, he remembered he was in the Hokage's office, and he knew enough not to react as he would have otherwise.

"The fact that you think that way at all makes me more certain than ever of my decision to deny Danzou's request today. But that discussion can wait for another time. Tell me something, Kakashi...where do you see yourself in ten years?"

"In ten years?" The question made no sense to him.

The Third chuckled at him. "It really isn't meant to be a trick question." The old man stood and placed his hands behind his back. "Don't you ever think about what your future will hold?"

Kakashi frowned and considered the question. "I suppose I wonder when I'll become a jonin. But I don't doubt that it will happen eventually, as long as I continue to follow the Shinobi Rules, so I don't really see the point in thinking about it."

The Hokage sighed and walked over to the wall of windows. Kakashi waited for the man's next comment, but he simply stood there, staring out the window with his hands clasped behind his back. The minutes passed, and still the silence continued. Just when Kakashi figured that this might be some new way to end a meeting, the Hokage's voice reached his ear.

"Come stand next to me, Kakashi."

He did as he was told, and stood next to the robed man, following his lead and staring out the window that overlooked the Village. "What do you see, Kakashi?"

He glanced over to where the man was still gazing off into the distance and saw that he was waiting for a response. Kakashi held back a groan and turned his attention out the window. Knowing that the Hokage would want something more than the standard – 'I see the Village' – for an answer, he actually took a moment to take in the scene below before speaking.

"Teams Five and Twelve are heading out for their missions through the Main Gate. The Uchiha Police Force is responding to what appears to be a domestic issue in the Market District. Team Fifteen is heading to hospital – two out of three appear wounded. And there's five...no, six ANBU spreading out toward this building...likely a shift change."

A long sigh came from next to him, and Kakashi knew he'd disappointed the old man once more. "Would you like to know what _I_ see? I see the men and women of Konoha going about their daily lives, sure in the knowledge that the shinobi of this village would give their lives to keep them safe. I see the Will of Fire burning brightly in each and ever member of this village...both civilian and shinobi alike. I see our elite sharing the burden of keeping me safe, so that I can continue to protect all that Konoha is."

The Hokage turned and looked down at him. "Kakashi, there is more to your life than just being a shinobi. You do understand that, don't you?"

He frowned at the older man. "Lord Hokage, perhaps I am content to be a shinobi."

The older man's eyes widened at his words before settling back into a look of worry. "Perhaps. But can you at least promise me not to forget there is more to being a Konoha shinobi than the missions you go on?"

"I'll try my best, Lord Hokage."

A soft smile crossed the man's lips before he turned to look out the window once more. The silence stretched a few moments longer before the Hokage's quiet words reached Kakashi's ears.

"You're to report to Minato-sensei at eight o'clock tomorrow morning at Training Area Thirteen. He will have your assignment ready for you. Thank you for your hard work, Kakashi."

Knowing that this was indeed his dismissal, Kakashi bowed low to the Hokage and then turned to leave the room. He hadn't pulled the door open more than an inch before the man's voice rang out once more.

"If any more of the white-masked attackers show up you are to avoid engaging with them at all costs and report the incident to me personally. Is that clear, Kakashi?"

His grip tightened on the door knob. "Yes, Lord Hokage."

With that, Kakashi continued out of the office and decided he was in desperate need to beat the crap out of something. So he headed toward the Hokage Monument where he knew there were plenty of training posts that were more than willing to take his punishing blows.

* * *

Gai was tired. No, that wasn't it. Physically he was more than awake. It was mentally that he was having some problems. He'd been trying his best for the past year to find some way to keep the proper hand-signs for three basic B-ranked jutsu in his brain...in the right order. But he was finding it to be an impossible task. No matter how hard he studied, he simply couldn't keep track of more than three signs at any given time.

Which led him to realize that he was a failure as a shinobi and would _never_ learn the secrets to the Gates.

And it was because of this very discovery that he was now losing himself in a complicated taijutsu routine atop the Big Heads. If he was to never gain the Secrets to the Gates, than he found himself needing to feel a physical pain that might match the aching hole in his dreams. Because, if Gai could not learn the Secrets of the Gates, than he would _never_ be able to catch up to his Eternal Rival and prove to be as great an asset to Konoha as his silver-haired friend was.

Thoughts of Kakashi caused Gai to miscalculate the power he used on the roundhouse kick he was aiming at the training post. Instead of providing a solid obstacle to his leg, the wooden post disintegrated under the force of the attack.

Once the dust settled, Gai stood there with his hands clenched at his sides and tears threatening to slip from his eyes. That had been the very last post left intact in this training field, and still he was burning up on the inside over his failure.

"You could have left one for me to use, you know."

The voice came from directly behind Gai, and even without turning to see who it was, he knew it could only be one person. Kakashi – his Eternal Rival. Gai's shoulders slumped and he sank to his knees, his despair at his failure to overcome this hurdle becoming too much for him to handle. He lowered his head to the ground and allowed the tears to flow.

"What are you doing, Gai? Has someone hurt you?"

Gai ignored the boy's words. He could not bear to face him and let the truth of his failure be known. He simply could not do it.

Before he knew it, Kakashi was kneeling in front of him and guiding Gai back up with a firm grip of his shoulders. Gai's vision was blurred by the tears still flowing down his cheeks, but even with the mask obscuring half of Kakashi's face it was easy to see the frown beneath the material.

"What's gotten into you, Gai? Tell me!"

He looked into Kakashi's dark eyes and saw that the boy wasn't going to go away until he answered. Sniffling back the tears that were threatening to choke him, Gai forced the words that would likely end his glorious rivalry with his friend.

"I'm...I'm a failure...as a shinobi!"

When the silver-haired boy didn't respond, Gai chanced a peek at the chunin's face. He saw Kakashi glancing around the training field before setting his hard gaze back on Gai. He couldn't help but avert his eyes from such a serious look.

"I know dozens of jonin who are incapable of doing what you did to the training posts with Taijutsu. What makes you think you are a failure?"

Gai blinked at him, the tears that had been slowing down now back in full force. "I can not keep my hand-signs straight!"

"Is that all?"

Anger sparked within Gai's breast at how callously Kakashi made that comment. His tears dried up in an instant and he scowled at the boy. "Is that _all_? That's _everything!_ If I can not keep the signs straight in my head, then Sensei will _never _teach me the Secrets of the Eight Gates, and I will _never_ catch up to you!"

Kakashi didn't say anything at first, and Gai feared that perhaps he had hurt the chunin's feelings and lost his Rival after all. But the boy let out a long sigh and crossed his arms in front of himself.

"Which jutsu are you trying to learn?"

Gai looked at him with suspicion. "Why?"

"Because I can't help you learn them if I don't know which ones they are."

"Really? You would do that for me?"

Kakashi shrugged at him and looked to the side. "Why not? It's probably the only way to keep you from needing to destroy my training posts, after all."

Gai beamed at the slightly shorter boy. "There are _three_ of them that I have to learn before my most glorious Sensei will agree to teach me anything about even one of the Gates!"

Kakashi chuckled at him. "Let's just take them one at a time, okay?"

"Right!" He thrust one thumb high into the air. "Then let us start with the most frustrating Pillar of Stone!"

"I thought your Sensei taught you that a year ago, Gai?"

He felt the heat of embarrassment creep up his cheeks. "Thus is the greatness of my failure...the jutsu remains just out of my reach."

"Show me the signs you use for it."

Gai bit on his lower lip and proceeded to twist his fingers into the first three signs without a problem...Tiger, Boar, Bird...but at the fourth sign, his fingers paused and then he reluctantly twisted them into the sign of the Snake...followed eventually by Dog...and then finally by Ox. He looked up expectantly at his friend, and frowned at the look of confusion crossing the visible portion of Kakashi's face. Gai lowered his head in defeat.

"I got it wrong again, didn't I?"

"You had the first three signs correct, Gai. What method are you using to remember what comes next?"

He lifted his head and stared at Kakashi. "Method? What do you mean? I just try to remember how Sensei showed them to me."

Kakashi hummed a little before he took a step back and slowly went through a series of hand-signs that had Gai groaning out loud as he recognized them as the exact signs Sensei had been trying to drill into him on for these many months. "These are the correct signs, Gai."

"How do you do it, My Eternal Rival? How can you remember the signs so easily?"

"I practiced very hard, and found ways to remind myself of what the order was."

Gai furrowed his brow and clenched his fists. "Ways? What ways could possibly exist that could enable _anyone_ to keep that many signs right? I think that you are lying to me, Kashi. Why would you do such a thing? Ah...is it that you are afraid that I might surpass you?"

For some unknown reason, Kakashi chuckled at him. "I'm sure that's why, Gai. Now, let me show you my trick. The signs for this jutsu are Tiger, Boar, Bird, Boar, Rat, and Dog, right?"

Gai figured Kakashi would know better than him, so he nodded his head and waited for his friend to continue.

"So, instead of trying to remember the signs themselves, I've created a phrase in my head with words that will remind me of the first letter of each hand-sign. In this jutsu's case, I simply think of the phrase...'Their Bones Break; Blood Runs Dry'...and I know in my head what signs match up to the words."

Gai scratched at his ear. "If I can't remember the signs, how in the world will I remember your _words_?"

His Eternal Rival let out a frustrated sigh. "Because _you'll_ create a sentence with _your own_ words. That way you'll always know what you mean."

Gai nodded sagely and went over to where he'd dropped his pack earlier in the day. He rummaged through it until he located a new notepad and pencil. A moment later, and he was back at Kakashi's side.

"Will you be so kind, Eternal Rival, and write down the signs for the Earthen Pillar jutsu for me?"

A long sigh made it clear that his friend didn't particularly want to do it, but the boy quickly wrote out each sign and even went so far as to jot down what words he used to learn the skill. Gai smiled encouragingly and was about to reach for the notepad filled with those priceless words when Kakashi's voice stopped him.

"Once you learn this one you're likely to chase me down to help with the others too, aren't you?"

The warm heat of a blush crept up Gai's neck. "You are too cool for me, Kakashi! Because that is _exactly_ what I had planned to do!"

His friend's eyes rolled slightly before he perched the pencil over the pad once more. "What are the other two jutsu that your sensei showed you?"

Gai furrowed his brow in thought for a moment before stretching his mouth into a wide grin. "Ah, yes! Sensei showed me the amazingly cool Wall of Earth, and then the equally awesome Spear of Fire!"

He watched Kakashi scribbling in the pad before he looked up again. "I wrote out the signs for each jutsu in the correct order, and added what the phrases were that I had used to learn them. Use them, or don't. It's up to you."

With that said, he handed the pad and pencil back. Gai looked down at the lines on the page and felt his eyes tearing up. Before Kakashi could step away, he encircled the far thinner boy within his iron grip. "How can I ever repay you, My Eternal Rival? I will cherish your words of wisdom forever!"

"Gai...if you value your life at all, let me go..._now_!"

He hastily released his friend, and grinned at him with one thumb up in the air. "Whatever you say, Kashi! The next time you see me, I vow that I will show you that your words have not gone to waste! If I have not mastered all three jutsu by that time...I will perform _one thousand_ pushups using just my thumbs! And then I will climb the stairs to the top of the Hokage Monument...backwards...on my hands!"

By the time Gai finished his promises, he noticed that Kakashi was nowhere to be found. He marveled at just how cool his friend really was before he sat down on the ground and started pouring over the words his Rival had left him. At first, Gai frowned. Each and every jutsu on the page had gruesome words penned neatly to the side of it. Was this truly how his friend remembered such amazing miracles? By thinking of such things as breaking bones and mutilated organs?

He shook his head to clear his mind of such images. There had to be another choice of words he could use...ones that didn't make him sick just thinking about them. So he sat there, chewing on the end of his pencil, and looked at the signs he needed for that very first jutsu.

"Let's see...the first sign is Tiger...hmmm..." His eyes shot wide and his lips pulled into a grin. "Terrific! Terrific will work perfectly!"

He scribbled his choice of word down and moved on to the next...Boar. Kakashi's choice of Bones was definitely out...and he tried to make sure it would go together with the first word in order to string along a phrase...just like Kakashi had suggested. Again, after nearly chewing the end of the pencil off, he furiously scribbled the next choice of word down. He couldn't wait to finish this exercise so that he could try this brilliant idea and prove to his sensei that he wasn't worthless after all! Then the man would have no choice but to teach him the mystery of the Eight Gates...and after that, he'd learn the spectacular entrance that he'd seen Kakashi do so often. But no..._spectacular_ just wasn't the way such an entrance should be labeled...it simply didn't do it justice. But what to call it?

Gai stretched his lips into a wide smile as he jotted down his new name for the technique that was the driving force behind his eagerness to learn. He returned to his task of choosing the proper motivational words for the remaining hand-signs, feeling more energized than ever. After all, he knew it would all be worth it if, in the end, he was able to master his very own _Dynamic Entry_!

* * *

Danzou knew that his killing intent was rolling off him in waves, but at the moment he couldn't have cared less. "What do you _mean_ Kakashi Hatake has been removed from the active duty roster for solo missions? By whose orders?"

The mousy desk clerk paled at his words, and she looked as though she might pass out in fear at any moment. The chunin seated beside her wasn't fairing any better, and it was clear to Danzou that his decision to skip over the boy as a potential member of ROOT had been wise after all. He leaned forward a bit and glared at the two useless paper-pushers.

"I asked you a question. _Who_ ordered the Hatake brat off of that active duty list?"

A deep voice came from behind him, startling Danzou a bit as he hadn't detected the man entering the room. "Although it may be bothersome, the order came directly from the Third Hokage. Perhaps you should bring up your concerns with him, Lord Danzou, rather than intimidating my staff."

Danzou pushed down the urge to spit out a retort. He should have remembered that the Nara kid had been placed in charge of the Mission Office when not out on his own missions. But still, he needed more information about this unforeseen change to his plans, and so he slowly turned to face the young man head on.

He narrowed his eyes at the sight of the man leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed loosely across his chest. It looked as though he'd only just woken from a nap, but if Danzou remembered correctly, that was what this young man _always_ looked like when he wasn't in battle. It was actually a brilliant way to trick people into not taking him seriously, and had obviously worked in his favor, considering the Nara was already of jonin rank.

"Perhaps if you employed staff that weren't so easily frightened then one of them could have answered my question without my needing to intimidate them."

The dark eyes staring back at him showed no reaction to his words. Danzou had to admit that he just may have been wrong in skipping over this one. But the man was no longer young enough to consider for recruitment, so he would simply note that this one could cause trouble down the road. Perhaps an encounter with him and the rest of his ridiculous trio might prove an entertaining training exercise for the latest batch of ROOT soldiers. Yes, that just might do.

"Is there some reason in particular that you would want to see Kakashi's name on the list, Lord Danzou?"

He hummed quietly to himself, recognizing that the young man was trying to get him to admit to more than simply a mission parameter. He would need to phrase his reply just right to get the annoying jonin off his trail.

"No reason other than wanting to make sure that the boy was given every opportunity to gain enough mission experience to participate in the upcoming exams, should he so desire it. After all, young Kakashi was on the disabled list for so long that many of us on the Counsel feared his chances for advancement might have been endangered."

The jonin pushed himself away from the wall and placed his hands deep into his pockets before walking over to stand behind the two useless shinobi at the desk. He did nothing to stifle a yawn as he moved, and Danzou nearly growled at how close to insubordination the man was treading.

"Lord Danzou, I will pass your concerns on to the Hokage, if you'd like. But, on his orders, the boy is to remain off these lists until he personally issues orders that say otherwise. It would be a bother, but if you would like, I can pass on a message to the Hokage to clarify his orders...if you insist, that is."

He felt a twitch of his lips at how this fool's words had sealed his, and his team's, fate as his next practical exercise for his soldiers. He turned and moved to leave the room without another word to the aggravating man. His time could be better spent issuing the orders to his agents to locate the boy and report back on just what task he has been assigned that requires him to be removed from the roster.

Danzou allowed a small smile to pull up the corners of his mouth. After all, it was quite possible that whatever Kakashi Hatake was doing now would allow him even more access to him, and more opportunities to test the boy. And that would only prove valuable in the end.


	14. The Best Laid Plans

Chapter 14

The Best Laid Plans

Kakashi stood at the base of the sheer cliff wall and tipped his head back until he could just make out the top, nestled amidst a blanket of dark clouds. Currently, his right arm was tied securely against the small of his back, and he spared a moment to glance over toward where his sensei was watching him with an intensity that made Kakashi question the man's sanity. Of course, a large part of why he was thinking Minato-sensei was nuts had to do with the instructions he'd just been given for this particular training exercise.

"Let me get this straight, Sensei. You want me to climb up this cliff-face?"

"That's right."

"Without using my right arm?"

"That would be why I tied it up, Kakashi."

"And without accessing my chakra?"

"Yup."

He sighed in undisguised frustration. "_Why_?"

The blond man grinned at him. "Well, you're always saying that I don't challenge you enough in your training."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "This isn't quite what I had in mind, Sensei. So...what's this _really_ about?"

He watched Minato-sensei's blue eyes narrow at him, at the same time that any sign of a grin left the man's face. "Why do you always think that there's an ulterior motive to peoples' actions?"

"Because ninety-nine percent of the time there _is_ an ulterior motive."

Minato-sensei frowned at his answer. "Dammit, Kakashi! You're too young to be this paranoid."

He and his sensei silently stared at each other for a handful of seconds before Kakashi sighed once more and turned back toward the cliff. After taking a moment to study the rocky surface for the best path to use, he stretched his left hand up until his fingers curled around his first handhold. He lifted his right foot onto a small outcropping of stone and began his ascent. He paused just long enough to glance back at the man.

"Next time, Sensei, just tell me that the Third put you up to it. It would save us both a lot of grief."

* * *

Before he could say a word in response to Kakashi's far-too-accurate comment, the silver-haired boy had already returned his attention to the cliff-face, and made it a quarter of the way up the surface. Minato cupped his hands around his mouth and tried to keep his growing apprehension out of his voice.

"Kakashi! Slow down! The idea is to make it to the top...not to see how fast you can slip and fall!"

There was a barely perceptible pause in the boy's climb before the speed of his ascent actually grew faster. _Is Kakashi actually trying to kill himself?_ Of course, the moment that thought crossed Minato's mind he pushed it aside. If there was one thing that he knew for certain about the stubborn genius, it was that he'd _never_ take his own life. Not after the way Sakumo's death had affected the boy.

Still, as more than a few loose stones came tumbling to the ground, Minato was starting to think that perhaps he shouldn't have sealed off the kid's chakra too. He'd convinced himself that Kakashi would be too tempted to rely on it if he'd left it unsealed. But now, as he had to tip his head backward to spot the silver-haired boy amongst the clouds, he was growing exceedingly worried that he may have screwed this one up.

Minato ran a hand across the back of his neck and chewed on his lower lip while he prayed to Kami that Kakashi's latest training wouldn't end in yet another trip to the hospital. On paper, this seemed like the most practical way to increase the kid's natural stamina, while also trying to stop having him rely on his chakra to get him through a fight. But now, as he lost sight of Kakashi in the thick clouds, he was starting to wonder if all his own practice lately in creating a quicker transportation jutsu had addled his brain.

"Dammit. Why the hell did I let the Hokage convince me to try this?"

To be fair, though, all that the Hokage had said was that he needed to concentrate on increasing Kakashi's ability to fight at maximum capacity when he was unable to utilize his chakra. It had been Minato's own idea to use this particular form of training. And, of course, when he'd pictured today's activities it had been with the thought that the weather would hold.

The unmistakeable flash of lightning at the top of the cliff pulled Minato from his thoughts. His heart raced at the thought that he'd sent the boy straight into a thunder cloud. Dry stones were hard enough to maneuver with two hands, let alone one, and if rain was added to the picture, he doubted that even _he_ would manage the task very well without chakra.

A single fat drop of water fell down to land on Minato's cheek a moment before the sky opened up in a deluge of cold rain that almost instantly soaked him to the bone. The rumble of thunder that followed another streak of lightning shook the ground he was standing on. He could no longer see Kakashi through the driving rain, and he knew it was time to use the chakra tags that he'd placed at the top of the cliff earlier that day.

He channeled his chakra into his newest jutsu, and in a flash was standing under the branches of a tree near the north side of the cliff-face. What he'd expected to see was one very cranky and very wet chunin. What he actually saw was a vacant clearing.

Minato frowned. It wasn't like Kakashi to take off before he'd officially ended a training session. Especially when the boy still had his chakra sealed. This just made no sense.

Minato walked over to the edge of the cliff and peered over. Even though his mind supplied that there was no way Kakashi would be clinging to the wet rocks, his heart wanted him to verify all possibilities before he allowed himself to come to any other conclusions. With that thought in mind, he formed the necessary hand signs and generated four clones.

"You two, spread out and look for any signs of the kid." Once the first two ran off, Minato turned to those remaining. "Check back at his room and on top of the Hokage Monument."

With a curt nod, the others scattered, leaving him alone once more at the top of the cliff. The rain was quickly turning the area into a field of slippery rock and mud, and although he could find no sign that he should be worried about Kakashi's whereabouts, there was this nagging feeling that he was missing something.

No matter how many times he tried to convince himself that the self-sufficient chunin was probably fine, that nagging feeling would reemerge and make him worry for the boy once more. Minato ran his fingers through his rain-soaked hair and sighed in frustration. At that very moment, a flash of lightning streaked through the sky, illuminating the clearing and drawing Minato's attention to a patch of white in the otherwise gray landscape.

He moved over to where he'd spied it, and felt his mouth run dry at the sight of a nondescript white mask. Memories of the many conversations he'd had with his silver-haired charge over what he'd thought were figments of Kakashi's imagination came to the front of his mind. He reached down and picked up the mask, noticing the edges of it were chipped and cracked. Faint traces of blood were quickly being washed away by the unrelenting rain, and Minato quickly made his decision before there was no evidence left. He held the mask close to his body and made the needed hand-sign to transport himself directly to the Hokage tower.

* * *

"I'm warning you, _pervert_, if you make one more comment about my chest I'll knock you into _Suna_!"

Hiruzen watched Tsunade's eyes flicker with the promise of pain, but it became clear that the object of her anger had no idea how close to death he was treading. In fact, Jiraiya seemed to take her threat as a personal challenge.

"All I was saying, my love, was that we woulda completed the mission sooner if you hadn't distracted me with those glorious mounds of flesh breaking free of their confining clothing."

The buxom blond took a single step toward her teammate, her anger causing her face to flush in a most spectacular shade of red. But before she could place her hand on the offending man, the third member of their team, Orochimaru, placed his pale hand on Tsunade's shoulder.

"He really isn't worth the effort, is he? I'd prefer that we get this debriefing over with before you break the fool's jaw."

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, trying his hardest not to laugh at the antics his former genin team were in the middle of. He was just about to question them some more about their recent mission, when the door to his office was thrown open to bang against the wall. A thoroughly drenched Minato stormed through the opening, with Hiruzen's personal aide following close on his heels.

"I tried to stop him, Lord Hokage. He just pushed right past me!"

The Hokage narrowed his eyes at the serious expression plainly visible under the young jonin's dripping bangs. It only took him a moment to notice the mask clutched in the man's hands, and his heart clenched at just what this might mean. Hiruzen pushed himself to his feet and signaled for his aide to leave, knowing that whatever had caused Minato's lack of manners was likely something that none of them wanted to hear.

He waited until the frowning aide pulled the door shut once more before speaking. "What's happened, Minato?"

The young jonin moved to stand in front of the desk, seemingly oblivious to the three shinobi he was interrupting, and placed the mask he'd been holding down in front of him. "I'm sorry, Lord Hokage, but I think maybe Kakashi wasn't making it up after all."

Before Hiruzen could utter a single word, Jiraiya gripped the young man by his shoulders and twisted him until they were face to face. "What's going on, Kid? And what's this about the Brat?"

"Jiraiya-sensei?" Minato blinked before he turned toward where the others were standing and then pulled free of his former sensei to turn back toward the desk. "I...I can't find Kakashi anywhere, and there's blood on the edge of that thing!"

Hiruzen raised his eyebrows. "I thought you were training with him today? How could you have lost sight of him?"

He watched Minato's forehead crease. "I was spotting him from below the cliff...in case he fell."

"The cliff?"

Now a faint blush of embarrassment colored the man's cheeks. "I was trying to get him to stop relying on chakra, like you told me to do. I sent him up the cliff-face with his chakra sealed."

Hiruzen groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose to try and fend off the headache that was, in part, his own fault. A streak of lightning and a rumble of thunder seemed to accentuate just how ridiculous Minato's choice for training was. Meanwhile, Jiraiya stepped forward and picked up the plain white mask from where it sat on the desk.

"I've been seeing more and more of these things popping up, Sensei. But I don't understand what they may have to do with the Brat?"

Tsunade took the offending piece of porcelain into her hands and took a moment to study it, inside and out. "By the size of it, it's probably made to fit a younger person. And the traces of blood are on both the inside and the outside of the mask. Looks like the Kid gave as good as he got, at least."

Hiruzen folded his hands under his chin and watched the only member of his team who had yet to speak. Orochimaru's face gave him no clue on what the raven-haired man might be thinking, but he could have sworn he'd caught a glint of recognition in the yellow eyes that were, even now, trained on the mask in Tsunade's hands.

Before he could ponder just what that might mean, Minato took possession of the mask once more and turned to face him. "Hokage, _please_, we need to find him!"

"What makes you think he wasn't able to fight whoever this was off, Namikaze?" Orochimaru's quiet words seemed to make Minato all the more miserable.

Hiruzen leaned forward to place a hand on the jonin's shoulder, noticing the blond-haired man tensed at his touch. "Minato, answer Orochimaru's question."

"His arm was secured behind his back." He lowered his chin toward his chest. "With chakra rope."

This time it was Tsunade who spun Minato on his feet before grasping his vest in her hands. "You sent that kid up a cliff-face with one arm tied behind his back and _no chakra_? What the hell were you thinking? He's not even ten yet!"

Orochimaru took a step closer to the angered woman, although this time he seemed to know better than to touch her. "Kakashi's age has nothing to do with this, Tsunade. If I recall correctly, the boy is better equipped, both physically and mentally, than most jonin. Besides, wouldn't your energy be better spent searching for the boy?"

Tsunade released her grip and folded her arms in front of her. "Fine! Lets go, then!"

With that, Hiruzen's former team left in a series of puffs of smoke, leaving him alone with the still visibly shaken Minato. "Can I assume that you've sent clones to all of his usual haunts?"

The young jonin took a shuddering breath before turning to face him. "Yes, Hokage. And I have others checking the area where he was supposed to be waiting for me."

"I see." He sat down and motioned for Minato to do the same. "Is it too much to hope for that the boy had summoned his pack before starting this training?"

The jonin frowned. "He figured that they wouldn't be of much help climbing, so he hadn't bothered, Lord Hokage."

Hiruzen reached for his pipe and sighed. "Well then, all we can do is hope the others locate the boy soon."

"Yes sir. But shouldn't I be joining them in the search, Hokage?"

He let a low chuckle out. "I believe that, with the addition of your sensei and his team to the search, it won't be long until Kakashi is found." Minato's frown deepened, but the young man did not argue with his conclusion. "Now then, my boy, there is something else I'd like to talk to you about."

That frowned was soon replaced with a look of curiosity, and Hiruzen knew he had Minato's full attention. "I'd like to talk to you about your future."

* * *

Orochimaru walked through the dimly lit corridors which lay deep below the older districts in Konoha. He, and only a handful of others, actually knew this complex even existed, and it was for that very reason that he'd been allowed entry in the first place. He needed to find out just why Danzo was going against their original plans for using the ROOT forces.

He pushed a nondescript door to his left wide open and found the bandaged man sitting behind a desk that was covered by a topographical map of the lands surrounding Konoha. Danzo glanced up as he entered, and frowned at him.

"You aren't supposed to be here for another week, Orochimaru. Why are you here?"

He narrowed his eyes at the man and allowed his chakra to flare with his anger, taking a moment of satisfaction as Danzo seemed to tense ever so slightly. "And _you_ aren't supposed to be allowing the presence of your ROOT operatives to be discovered for another month. Perhaps you'd like to explain to me why you've decided to go against the original time-line?"

He watched Danzo's hands clench into tight fists while they glared at each other. "What I do, or don't do, with _my_ troops is none of your concern."

Orochimaru pulled his lips into a mockery of a smile as he moved forward and leaned against the desk's surface. "It most certainly is when they are targeting someone under the protection of the current Hokage. Now then, _why _are you targeting Kakashi Hatake?"

"For the same reasons that I am certain you have been watching the boy. His addition to ROOT would increase our capabilities tenfold. And if we wait much longer, the conditioning will not take hold satisfactorily. Surely you cannot deny that logic."

He leaned in until he was nearly nose to nose with the pig-headed Elder. "What I _cannot_ deny, Danzo, is how truly short-sighted you are. To make a play for the boy now will only end badly."

"You forget your place, Orochimaru."

He stood up and folded his arms. "Do I? I believe my place is, and always has been, to help create the ultimate shinobi while keeping this operation from being discovered. However, that task is moot now that _your_ operatives have been foolish enough to go after the boy during his latest training session."

Danzo scowled at him. "I wouldn't have needed to take that step if that foolish old man hadn't removed the boy from the active duty role. What other choice was there?"

Orochimaru shook his head at the fool's stupidity. He would need to rethink his partnership with Danzo if the man continued to prove to be so moronic. "What is done, is done. So then, where are you keeping the boy?"

A frown graced the Elder's face. "My operatives have not yet returned from their task."

"I see. More proof that you moved too soon. Then I will not waste any more of either of our time." Orochimaru lifted his hands into the needed position and left in a pillar of flame.

When he rematerialized, he was smirking at the fact that the overconfident Elder would spend hours trying to figure out just how he had managed to teleport out of the ROOT catacombs when there were powerful jutsu in place to stop just such a thing. But he could enjoy that man's frustration later. For now, he needed to find out just why the operatives had not returned with the boy that seemed to be Danzo's latest obsession.

Orochimaru bent down to the ground and performed a minor summing jutsu. A dozen or so brown and green snakes waited for his orders. "I need to know where the silver-haired spawn of White Fang has gone. Find him...before anyone else does."

He watched them slither away from him, confident that he'd know the whereabouts of Kakashi Hatake before a half hour had passed. Until then, he would contemplate just how he could make sure that his name was never connected to ROOT in any way.

* * *

Gai had just finished his two hundred and fourth lap around the outskirts of Konoha when he spied the unmistakeable silver hair of his Eternal Rival. It made him proud to see that something as trivial as a thunderstorm would not keep his friend from training either. He decided to wait where he was for Kakashi to run by him. Then he could join his Rival in another hundred or so laps!

A frown settled on his face when it became evident to him that Kakashi was already training with others. Had he been placed on another team already? Would that mean that he would no longer be allowed to spar with Kakashi? That simply would not do! He had much to learn from his Eternal Rival, and he still had to show him how much he had improved on his jutsu since they last met!

Lightning streaked through the sky, but Gai barely noticed it as he continued to track Kakashi's progress. His friend did not seem to be enjoying his training. In fact, he'd never seen Kakashi look quite so worn out. And now that the people running with Kakashi were close enough to clearly see, Gai noticed that all of them, but one, were wearing some kind of solid white masks. The one who was not, had such an angry look to him that it hardly surprised Gai at all when he pulled several shuriken out of his pouch and threw them in Kakashi's direction.

He had expected his Glorious Rival to easily dodge out of the way, so when two of the weapons lodged into Kakashi's back, it had shocked Gai. Obviously these were not friends after all! In fact, the others seemed to take their lead from their unmasked companions success, and were readying their own weapons for another attack!

Only now did Gai notice that his Rival was in no shape to fight back against those unknown villains. There was blood running down Kakashi's face, and it looked like his friend was missing his right arm! But what could he do? There were so many of them...and he was not prepared for a fight today. His weapons were all back in his room, for goodness sake!

Kakashi's groan as he stumbled under another shuriken attack made it clear that there was not much left in his Rival's energy. And those mean, mean, mean monsters attacking his friend did not seem to be letting up at all. If he had any intention of having a rival at _all_ after this day, it was time for Gai to act!

Running the words he'd been using to remember his hand-signs through his head, He moved into position and slammed his hand to the ground, pushing his chakra into just when Kakashi stumbled past him. The ground shook a moment before a mighty stone slab forced itself out of the ground and towered over the oncoming enemy.

The joy Gai was experiencing from creating such a wondrous monolith was short-lived when he saw mighty cracks form on his side of the rock a moment before a fist-sized hole appeared in line with his head. Gai's eyes went wide and he thought for certain his life was over when his glorious stone wall started toppling toward him. Just as a large section would have surely opened his skull, he felt someone slam into his side and the two of them tumbled clear of the falling debris.

The air pushed out of Gai in a rush, and it took him a moment to find his voice again. In that time, he found that his savior was none other than the Rival he had been trying to save! With Kakashi only inches away from his face, it was clear to see just how beat up he was. Yet, even with the dire straights, his ever-so-cool Rival was the first to speak.

"It's about time you got those hand-signs right."

Gai would have laughed at his friend's observation if it wasn't for the fact that the enemy had already closed in on them and, with a firm grasp of Kakashi's hair, they pulled him away. They threw his Rival on the ground and two of the masked meanies stepped on his back to keep him from escaping. It was at this new angle that Gai finally saw why Kakashi had looked like his right arm was missing. It was firmly tied behind his Rival's back!

The happiness of this discovery was pushed away when one of the other masked enemy glanced his way and spoke to his comrades. "Is that one of the ones we're supposed to grab? Or can I kill him?"

The unmasked one, who was sporting a sizable gash over his right eye, pulled out a scroll and read through it before responding to the questions. "He's not on the list. Make it look like an accident."

Did his ears deceive him? Did these cruel people honestly just agree to snuff out his wondrous life? Did they not understand that he still had so much more to do? He hadn't even learned about the gates yet!

"Gai! Snap out of it! Get help! Run!"

Kakashi's desperate plea cut through his fear-addled mind, and although he truly wanted to be able to save his friend himself, he knew enough to see the wisdom of his Rival's words. So Gai jumped to his feet and sped back toward where he knew he'd find the guard house at the gates to the village. He could hear the curses of the masked men behind him, and thought for certain that they would catch him, until he remembered he was wearing his Back Pack of Ox-strength.

Releasing the catches on the pack's straps, Gai let the rock filled bag fall to the ground. The loss of that extra weight allowed his speed to nearly triple, and within seconds, he was far away from his pursuers. Now all he had to do was find someone to help him save his Eternal Rival!

* * *

Orochimaru stood on a branch in one of the trees lining the area where Danzo's trained operatives had finally caught up with Kakashi Hatake. He found the fact that two of them were holding the boy down to be quite telling. He'd taken part in the training of these ROOT soldiers, and he knew that nearly all of them had the capabilities to take down most jonin-level shinobi on their own. So, if the boy had caused this much trouble with only one arm and none of his chakra available, he was beginning to understand just why Danzo's attention had be garnered.

In fact, if this had been any other child of Konoha, Orochimaru would have taken the boy to one of his labs and explored just what his limits were. But this was _not_ any other child. This was Sakumo Hatake's _only_ child. And as such, he was under the ever watchful eyes of the Hokage, not to mention that fool, Jiraiya's, student. His disappearance would be noticed far too quickly, and in the long run, any knowledge that Orochimaru might glean from his tests would be far outweighed by the trouble those looking out for the boy would cause him.

But, if he couldn't benefit from experimenting on the young Hatake himself, then the least that he could do was use the brat to earn him some favor with his former sensei. Perhaps it might even trick the old fool into thinking he actually _cared_ for the residents of this backward little village after all. And that would put him one step closer to his desired title of Hokage. Then, once he was firmly ensconced in the position, he'd have all the time and resources he'd want to learn every secret that the young Hatake might be harboring.

His plan of action firmly in place, he waited until he saw that the ROOT soldiers were finished binding Kakashi for transport. When he saw them yank back the boy's head and lean in to send the brat into unconsciousness with a syringe of one of many sedatives that he had supplied Danzo in the past, he jumped down from his perch and walked purposely toward the small group. He knew he'd have a limited amount of time before the spandex-wearing child returned with reinforcements, and so he made sure he didn't waste a single second.

A single glare at the ROOT operatives was enough to cause them to pause in their actions, but at a barely perceptible nod from his head they continued their tasks. The needle broke the skin in Kakashi's neck and once the plunger was depressed fully, Orochimaru knew he'd have exactly fourteen seconds of cognitive consciousness before the boy succumbed to the injection. And once asleep, he'd carry him back to the Hokage's office and earn himself the praise that would move him one step closer to his goals.

So when, after fourteen seconds, the boy was still awake, it brought a frown to Orochimaru's face. And then, at twenty-four seconds, the child did the unthinkable...he spoke!

"Shouldn't you make them let me go now, Master Orochimaru?"

Although the words we a bit slurred, it was obvious that Kakashi had somehow retained his cognitive functions. Now that was quite intriguing. The only other person who had ever exhibited such a resistance to his sedatives had been Sakumo Hatake. So it appeared that it just might be a genetic resistance after all. Which was something that he would have loved to have investigated further, but thanks to Danzo's inability to wait, he'd have to wait a bit longer before he could satisfy his curiosity.

"They've already let you go, Kakashi. I'll be bringing you home now."

That being said, Orochimaru stepped forward. The ROOT soldiers dutifully recognized the move for what it was, and they disappeared a moment before he knelt next to the boy. By the time he had removed the ropes from around Kakashi's arms and legs, the sedatives had finally taken hold. He scooped the boy into his arms and began his journey back to the Tower.

Throughout the trip back, he wondered whether the boy in his arms would have similar resistances to the dozen or so other narcotics he'd supplied ROOT with. He sighed, cursing Danzo's impatience, and promising himself to get even with the fool for destroying any chance he might have had to explore the limits of Kakashi Hatake.


	15. Comings and Goings

Chapter 15

Comings and Goings

The moment Orochimaru set foot inside the Hokage Tower he had caused a tidal wave of action around him. Several visiting dignitaries gasped at the sight of the bleeding and battered child in his arms. A handful of paper-pushing chunin took it upon themselves to clear a path through the normal mass of civilian and shinobi alike that always seemed to gather in the hallways of the tower. Several of the ANBU hidden within the shadows disappeared as he passed by, some of them doubtlessly going to inform the Hokage of his arrival, while the others would be fetching the medic-nin on duty.

Because of this, he made a show of pulling the brat in closer to his chest in what he'd hoped would be a believable act of caring for the boy. That way, should the Hokage decide to ask any of these people what they had witnessed during his entrance, every one of them should mention this last sight to the older man. And, as was his plan from the moment he'd decided to keep ROOT from succeeding in their capture of the boy, he would seem like that much more of a viable successor for the title of Hokage. By the time he'd made it upstairs, he could already hear the whispers of his caring deed being spread throughout the building.

A smirk pulled at his lips over how well he'd read these fools, and he had to pause just outside the door to the Hokage's office in order to regain his facade of the rescuer. Once he was sure his expression would adequately portray his supposed concern for the small boy in his arms, he pushed open the door and strode into the room. He hadn't taken two steps in before he was relieved of his burden by the Hokage, himself. A step behind him was the blond-haired fool who'd lost the boy in the first place, and moments after that the room started to fill with medic-nin and, eventually, the remainder of Orochimaru's own team.

He watched Tsunade push her way to where Sarutobi-sensei was placing the unconscious boy onto a sofa against the back wall. Meanwhile, Jiraiya stood next to him with his arms crossed.

"We looked everywhere for the kid. Where did you find him?"

He resisted the urge to step away from the overgrown fool and reminded himself that he had a role to play. "He was just outside the boundaries of Training Ground seventeen."

"_Seventeen_? What the hell was he doing out there? That's miles away from the cliff they were training at!"

Orochimaru resisted the urge to chuckle as his teammate reacted exactly as he'd known the fool would. "Considering the fact that he was being chased by four attackers, I'm surprised he didn't end up even farther away."

The Hokage joined them. "What can you tell me about these attackers?"

"I saw no identifying marks on them, Sensei. Their masks, although similar to Konoha's ANBU in design, were solid white. None of them looked to be over the age of twenty. They scattered once I arrived, and I didn't make chase. The boy's recovery was my top priority."

The Hokage nodded his head sagely. "As it should be. But what worries me, is that this is the first time Kakashi has been accosted by these attackers inside of Konoha's borders."

Orochimaru didn't bother to keep the anger out of his voice. "The boy has been attacked by these shinobi before?"

"You know, he has a name." Tsunade elbowed her way next to him, wiping the blood off of her hands as she moved.

"Ah yes, forgive me. Would you prefer me to call him 'brat' like Jiraiya seems to favor? Or perhaps I should use 'kid,' which seems to be _your_ favorite label for the boy? Or did I mix that up?"

Now Jiraiya's sorry excuse for a student joined them. "Actually, I'm sure he'd prefer to be called by his given name...Kakashi."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes at the impudent jonin, but before he could reply, the Hokage redirected the conversation. "How is he, Tsunade?"

She sighed and looked back toward where the other medic-nin were still working. "He's been drugged...which, considering the injuries from kunai and shuriken we've found so far, is probably a good thing. There are contusions on the fingers of one hand, that likely came from his climb up the cliff. But I'm more concerned with the bruising across his back."

"They had him pinned to the ground when I arrived." Orochimaru paused dramatically. "Perhaps that caused the bruising?"

Tsunade lifted her hand up to her mouth and chewed on the side of her thumb...a sure sign that she was trying to puzzle something out. "If they held him down with their feet, that would account for some of them, but the others are in a pattern I've never come across before."

The Hokage placed one hand on her elbow and guided her back toward where they were still working on Kakashi. "Show me."

Orochimaru followed a step behind them. It wasn't often that his curiosity would be triggered, but for Tsunade to run across something that she'd never seen before was just rare enough to make him willing to tag along. When they got to the sofa, they were unable to even see the boy until Tsunade shooed away each and every medic-nin. When, at last, Kakashi came into view, it wasn't hard to see what his teammate had been referring to. Underneath the markings left behind by the feet he'd witnessed being pressed against the youth's back were a series of dark purple marks that instantly made Orochimaru think of the marks left behind by one of his larger snakes after it compressed its victim. But that made no sense. None of his pets in that area were of sufficient size to leave such markings, and he knew that Danzo would never utilize such creatures, as he had an unnatural aversion to snakes of any kind.

He leaned in closer to see if he could prove or disprove his theory, but the markings were muddled together at the edges, making it impossible to verify much of anything. But then he saw something that definitely ruled out his boa constrictor theory.

"These markings don't continue onto his chest, do they?"

Tsunade sighed. "No, they don't. If they did then I wouldn't be as confused. Hell, at first I thought they might have been caused by one of your summons." She chuckled before running her fingertips lightly across the nearest marking. "But even your largest snake has never left this kind of raised marking."

"Raised?" Orochimaru placed his own fingers alongside of Tsunade's, tracing the marking with interest. "This almost feels like the result of being whipped."

The Hokage leaned in as well. "What you are suggesting makes it sound as though Kakashi was tortured before you found him. And if that is the case, then whoever is targeting the boy may just be doing it for personal reasons. Perhaps this can be traced back to a particular mission. Minato, have you any memory of running into anyone who might have used a weapon that would leave these marks?"

The blond-haired fool stepped closer, with Jiraiya hot on his heels. Orochimaru stepped to the side, presumably to allow them all more room. In reality, he moved back to keep the Hokage from seeing the look of satisfaction that was surely present on his face. After all, the old fool managed to create a plausible reason for the boy's injuries that moved any suspicion as far away from him, and ROOT, as possible. And if there was no suspicion aimed toward him, perhaps he'd be able to use that misplaced fear of an unknown personal vendetta to his advantage.

By the time the others finally moved away from the sofa, his mind was already far into numerous scenarios where he could acquire the boy and blame it on this imaginary foe. Now all he needed to do was make sure that any future attempts by ROOT would be on _his_ terms, not Danzo's.

* * *

Minato watched Kakashi's chest rise and fall as though it was the only thing in the world that could convince him that the boy was still alive. As it was, there were six very loud, very annoying, machines whirring and beeping all around him that served as proof of that very fact. But still, he found a strange sort of solace in watching that pale chest expanding and contracting.

He ran his hands through his hair and let out a shuddering sigh. He still couldn't believe that he'd put his student in such danger. Kami only knew what might have happened to the boy if Orochimaru hadn't found Kakashi when he did. And to think that the Hokage actually thought _he_ might be in the running to replace him! What a joke! He can't even keep a single child safe, let alone an entire village.

Minato sank down into the hard plastic chair that sat next to the hospital bed and buried his face in his hands. He never should have accepted the role of sensei. He definitely wasn't any good at this stuff. Hell, his track record alone was enough to show that! He'd barely been assigned his single student and he'd nearly lost him to being smothered by his dead father. Then, when he'd been given a _full_ team, including an Inuzuka companion, he'd managed to end up with every member of that team either knocked up or severely injured.

He let out a frustrated sigh along with a a quiet question posed to the Universe. "How the hell can the Hokage think I'd _ever _be ready to fill his shoes?"

"Do you really want an answer to that one, Sensei?"

Minato jerked up and turned to stare wide-eyed at Kakashi. "You're awake!"

The boy rolled his eyes. "You don't miss a thing, Sensei."

He was about to scold Kakashi for his sarcasm, but before he could, the boy's face twisted in pain and he let out an agonizing scream. Minato was on his feet in an instant, and tried to figure out what was going on. Of course, the ear-shattering noise soon brought a slew of medic-nin storming into the room and elbowing him out of the way. All he could do was stand to the side with his arms wrapped around him while Kakashi continued to scream out.

It wasn't long before the racket brought Tsunade out of hiding. "What the hell is going on in here?"

Even though she sounded upset, her attention was instantly on the writhing boy who, even now, was twisting out of the hands of the medic-nin surrounding him. She frowned and moved to retrieve a syringe from a nearby table before shouldering her way into the mass of hospital personnel until Minato could no longer see her head. One last jarring scream from Kakashi was cut short before Tsunade reemerged and headed straight toward him.

She grabbed the collar of his jonin vest and hissed her words at him. "What did you do to him, Namikaze?"

"What? _Me?_ I didn't do anything!" Minato tried to pull free, but Tsunade's grip held firm. "I didn't even touch him!"

A soft moan from Kakashi was enough to pull the woman's attention back toward the chunin, and away from throttling Minato. She let him loose, and then shooed the nearest medic-nin out of her way. By the time Minato had pulled himself together and moved to join her, she had already rolled the boy onto his stomach and pushed the hospital gown out of the way. What he saw crisscrossing Kakashi's back made him cringe. The raised areas that Orochimaru had earlier compared to whip markings were now glowing with an eerie blue-white light. And what was worse was the fact that now he was pretty sure that he knew what had caused the injury in the first place.

He stepped back from the bedside and motioned for one of the medic-nin to join him. He quickly sent them off to locate the Hokage so that he wouldn't have to repeat what would surely make the older man realize that he would never be Hokage material.

Minato didn't have to wait long. Less than three minutes after he'd sent the medic-nin away, the Hokage pushed the door aside and stepped into the room. To some it might appear that the man was all business, but anyone who could see him now would know, without a doubt, how much he truly worried for the boy on the bed.

Tsunade turned to see who'd entered, but then turned back toward Kakashi with a frown on her face. Minato, meanwhile, had stepped closer to the Hokage and said the words that he knew would prove his unworthiness.

"Lord Hokage, I know what caused the damage to Kakashi's back. Those marks follow the lines of the chakra-seal I placed on him this morning." He paused to swallow done the bile he felt rise in his throat at the thought that he was the cause of the pain his student now suffered. "I think he tried to break the seal."

The Hokage's eyes went wider, as Tsunade spun on him. "What do you mean? Hasn't anyone ever taught the brat how _dangerous_ that is? I thought you were his sensei, Namikaze. Just what the hell are you teaching him? Why would he even _think_ it was a possibility?"

With each word, the buxom woman stepped closer to him until she was nose to nose with him. The look in her golden eyes made him want to run, especially now that she was narrowing them at him.

"Leave Minato alone, Tsunade." The Hokage's voice seemed to be enough to get the woman to take a step back, but it did nothing to lessen the fear Minato was feeling for his life.

The robed man walked over to where Kakashi was still squirming under the glowing seal lines, speaking as he walked. "This is not the first time the boy has done this, Tsunade. And to answer what I know is running through that mind of yours; no – Minato did not teach such a skill to Kakashi."

"Then how did he learn it, hmm?" Her voice held less anger in it, and her curiosity over the puzzle that was Kakashi Hatake colored her words instead.

The Hokage chuckled softly. "Are you forgetting that the boy is something of a genius prodigy? You have one of those on your own team, Tsunade. You know that what might be impossible for others is simply a challenge for the likes of Orochimaru. Why would it be any different for Kakashi?"

The woman's shoulders sank a bit at the wisdom of the Hokage's words. But a moment later, and she was back to directing her penetrating gaze at Minato. "I take it that you didn't think to remove the seal once we got the brat back?"

Minato felt the heat of embarrassment creep up his neck as he realized his own stupidity. "In all the excitement, it sort of slipped my mind. Should I do it now?"

She sighed heavily and moved back to her patient. He watched her hands take on the soft blue glow of all the medic-nin as she ran her fingertips over the lines crisscrossing Kakashi's pale skin. A moment later, and she waved for him to come closer.

"You're a lucky man, Namikaze. It doesn't look like the brat did any permanent damage in his attempt to break your seal. Still, follow my lead, and don't go too fast while you release it."

Minato let loose a puff of air, happy to know he didn't cause any irreparable damage to his student. He moved to the other side of the bed, standing opposite of Tsunade, and waited for her signal to proceed. While he waited, he studied the lines of his seal and saw that the glow covered nearly eighty-five percent of it. If Kakashi had been given just a bit more time, he was certain that the kid would have actually succeeded in deactivating it.

"Pay attention, Pretty Boy." Tsunade's voice broke him out of his pondering.

"I'm ready whenever you are." He hoped that the release jutsu would still work with so much of the seal already unraveled, but with the knowledge that Tsunade would help to keep things safe, he moved his fingers through the necessary motions and focused his chakra into the center of the glowing lines.

At first, he felt Kakashi tense under his palm, but slowly, the angry glow and raised skin seemed to calm and return to its normal expanse of pale flesh. When it was over, the boy released a soft sigh before finally slipping into a deep sleep.

* * *

Gai was sitting on the cold floor of the Hospital's waiting room in protest over the fact that he wasn't being allowed to see his Eternal Rival. He glowered toward the nurse who sat frowning at him.

"You really need to go home now, Kid. I already told you that Kakashi Hatake is not allowed visitors."

"Forget about it, lady. I have promised myself that I would not leave this Hospital until I have seen my Eternal Rival with my own two eyes. To do less than that would be to deny the bond of friendship that we have forged. And I would never do that!"

She sighed and leaned her chin on top of her fist. "Listen, Sweetie. If I had a say in it, you'd get to see him. But the restriction was placed by the Hokage. Do you want me to get in trouble?"

Gai thought about that for a moment. Of course he didn't want to get the lady in trouble. That would just be...wrong! But at the same time, he couldn't go against the promise he had made to himself, either. That would totally go against his ninja way, and then he'd be just one step away from being unworthy of the most glorious title of chunin! So, even though his behavior might result in another member of Konoha being in trouble, he just _couldn't_ go against his promise.

His mind set, he smiled up at the woman behind the desk. "Although it is not my intention to get you in trouble, I simply can't leave. My future as a shinobi depends on it!'

She sighed once more. "Have it your way, Kid. Now we'll have to do this the hard way."

The next thing Gai knew, he saw two of the biggest men he'd ever seen! They both towered over him in their white jackets, and neither one seemed to happy to him. One of them crossed his arms and frowned down at him. The other one perched his fists on his hips and tipped his head to one side before speaking.

"Listen kid. You've gotta go home now. Visiting hours are over, and that pretty lady over there says you have to leave."

Gai leaned to one side so he could see just who the man was talking about, but all he could see was the same lady who'd been frowning at him all day. Maybe the Pretty Lady already left the nurses station. He shrugged and grinned up at the man.

"Sorry, mister. But my Eternal Rival is in there and I just _can't_ leave until I have seen him with my very own eyes. Cuz' he kept me from being crushed when I tried to save him from those nasty guys who were chasing him and if I don't wait here then I can't be a chunin and I won't know what to do if that happened and...and...and..." Gai gasped for breath before continuing. "And I can't let that happen!"

The two men shared a look before the one who hadn't spoken asked the mean woman a really strange question. "Hey, Kakoku. You sure you want us to chase the kid out? He sorta sounds like some of those loons from floor four. Maybe he escaped from there?"

Gai scratched at his ear. Why would they think he sounded like a loon? He'd heard those birds before, and he knew that he hadn't made any such sound. But before he could challenge the man on it, a familiar voice pulled his attention back to the desk.

"The Hokage sent me to see if you can get a supper tray to room 332 as soon as possible. Can you do that for me?"

"For you, I'd do anything!" The twitter of laughter confused Gai for a moment, especially when he leaned over again and realized it came from the same lady who wanted to kick him out.

Gai jumped to his feet and dodged under the arms of the two men grabbing for him, to slide to a stop next to Minato-sensei. He tugged on the hem of the man's vest until he looked down. "Is my Eternal Rival okay, Sensei?"

The blond man grinned at him with a sparkle in his blue eyes. "He will be, Gai. Why don't you come with me and see for yourself?"

Gai grinned so wide that his cheeks hurt. "That's what I've been trying to do all day!"

Minato-sensei's smile faded at that. "Really? I wish someone had told me you were here. You could have waited with me."

Gai turned to where the mean lady was and pointed at her. "I told you it was okay! See?"

"Now, now, Gai. It's not polite to point at a lady." The jonin leaned down to whisper in his ears. "Remember, a good shinobi shows only the best manners at all times. You never can tell who is watching you, after all."

Gai's eyes went wide at the nugget of knowledge this man just shared with him. He turned to face the woman at the desk and bowed low to her, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Forgive me, please! I never meant to point at you! If you do not accept my most humble apology, I don't know if I can forgive myself..." The tears fell freely from his eyes now.

"I...I...of course I accept it, Kid. Now stop leaving puddles on the floor!"

Gai grinned as he stood back up. "Thank you so much! Now I can be a good shinobi!"

He felt the palm of Minato-sensei on his shoulder and let himself be guided down the hall toward where he hoped his Eternal Rival really was okay.

* * *

Kakashi crossed his arms in front of him and glared at the blond-haired she-devil who kept trying to stick a needle in him. "I don't care _who_ you are...you aren't sticking _that thing_ in my ass."

She hadn't changed much from when she used to show up at the Hatake Compound when he'd been a kid. Even back then she used to keep trying to get him to do things he didn't want to. And it didn't matter how many times he'd said no, she'd always keep trying until the rest of her team would have to pull her away.

"Listen, Brat...this isn't a time to be stubborn. You _need_ this medicine. So stop whining already and roll over!"

He didn't bother to answer her demands, choosing to level one of his fiercest glares her way instead. She countered with a formidable glare of her own, and the two locked gazes to see who would flinch first. It went on for several minutes before the Hokage put an end to it.

"Enough! Kakashi, you need the medicine. Now roll over and let Tsunade do her job."

When he failed to respond one way or another, the old man said the only words that could ever get him to accept such indignity. "That's an order!"

Kakashi frowned, but did as his Hokage demanded. He'd barely managed to roll onto his side before he felt his hospital gown pushed aside and the unmistakeable sting of the needle piercing his flesh. A low hiss escaped him as the medicine was pushed into his body, and by the time it was over, his ego wasn't the only thing left bruised. He'd only just rolled back over when a far too familiar voice rang in his ears.

"Ah, my Eternal Rival! I am so glad to see that those bad, bad, bad bullies didn't damage you too much. Especially after you so valiantly saved me from their less than cool breaking of my mud wall."

Kakashi rolled his eyes, while the Hokage motioned for the boy to come closer. The older man knelt down and gripped Gai by the shoulders.

"Are you saying that you saw the people who attacked Kakashi?"

"Yeah, and they were really not very nice. Three of them had spooky white masks on. And they kept chasing after Kakashi...even when it was obvious to anybody that he was really, really tired. They threw all kinds of weapons at him, too! And when they _hit_ Kakashi I knew that I needed to save him!" Gai paused in his ranting and turned to smile at him. "I even got the signs right and everything! Right, Kakashi?"

"Yeah, Gai. You got them right." As much as Kakashi hated to admit it, even to himself, he'd have been upset if those bastards had managed to hurt the kid.

The Hokage continued listening to the boy rattle on and on about the creeps that had chased him. After awhile, Kakashi found himself yawning, and that was when he'd recognized that Tsunade had slipped him a sedative when he wasn't watching. Whether it was in the injection she'd stuck him with, or she'd laced his water, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that he was losing his battle with the medication, and soon he'd be asleep. He smirked at the thought that the hag had actually helped him out. After all, it meant he wouldn't have to listen to any more of Gai's rambling exaggerations of how his mud wall had saved the day.

When he next woke up, he was alone in the room. All of the wires that had been hooked up to him earlier were no longer there. In fact, the only tubing that he was still hooked up to was the IV-drip sticking out of his arm. He was still tired, and his muscles felt like they'd been pulled apart and then twisted back together again, but at least his back had finally calmed down.

The Hokage had explained to him that the excruciating pain that felt like rivers of fire had actually been caused by his failed attempt at breaking Minato-sensei's chakra seal. In all honesty, he really hadn't meant to try to break that seal, but evidently his mind had other plans. Still, everyone in his hospital room had stressed to him that it was a miracle that he had managed to survive a failed attempt at all.

Kakashi sat up in his bed and gazed out the window. Based on the position of the full moon, it looked to be just after one in the morning. He swung his feet over the side of the bed and waited a moment for a slight spell of dizziness to pass before he attempted to stand up. Once he was sure that he wasn't going to fall down, he reached over and pulled the IV out of his arm. He'd done this so many times now that the slight sting as the tubing pulled free was barely noticeable to him. He balled up a paper towel that was on the table next to the bed and pressed it against his arm until the bleeding from the IV sight slowed down.

Once that was finished, he walked unsteadily to the wardrobe against the far wall. A soft curse escaped his lips when he pulled it open to find it empty. In their hopes of keeping him here, they'd looked ahead and decided that if his clothes were gone then he'd have to stay put. Kakashi sighed and moved over to the window. As expected, there was no sign of anyone in the streets at this time of the night.

He took a moment to stagger back to the bed and shift the pillows and sheets into what he hoped would look like his body from a distance, and then he attempted to pull the flimsy gown tight around his body. Thankfully he was still what Minato-sensei liked to call 'dangerously slim,' so the thin material actually covered far more than it would have on someone like Gai. Once he was confident that the only moon to be seen that night would be the one in the sky, Kakashi pried the small window on the far wall open to allow the fresh air to filter into the room.

He perched himself on the windowsill, and did one more scan of the surroundings before he carefully worked his way down to the lower roof. A moment later and he was already halfway back to his rented room. By the time he'd disarmed his traps and crawled through his own window, he felt the edges of exhaustion creeping up on him once more. But, unlike the tiredness he'd felt from the sedatives, this was a weariness that sank deep into his bones. So, once a few of the traps were back in place, he hadn't even bothered to change out of the hospital gown. He had simply crawled under his comforter and was asleep before his head hit the pillow. His last conscious thought was that he hoped that his escape wouldn't be discovered until well into the new day.

* * *

Danzo sat back in his chair in the bowels of the ROOT headquarters and glared at the four operatives kneeling before him. Each had their head bowed, and waited for him to speak first, as they had been trained to do.

"Report."

The leader of this particular squad replied. "The target was successfully acquired."

That was most definitely not what he'd expected to hear. "Then explain why you do not have the Hatake brat with you."

The young operative's voice remained void of all emotion as he spoke. "Lord Orochimaru arrived and took custody of the target. He ordered us to return here."

Danzo frowned at the news. How dare that insolent jonin interfere with his plans! He had no right to order his tools to do _anything_! He turned his anger toward those in front of him.

"What were your orders?"

"Obtain Kakashi Hatake and bring him to Headquarters."

Danzo stood and walked over to stand in front of his operative, "Did those orders say to hand him over to Orochimaru?"

A slight pause in the youth's response gave away his uneasiness. "No, my Lord."

"Did they say to leave behind your weapons?"

"No, my Lord."

"I see." Danzo used the tip of his walking stick to lift the ROOT member's chin up until his bared face was fully visible. "And did those orders say to leave your mask behind?"

"No, my Lord."

"Who saw you like this?"

"The target, Lord Orochimaru, and an unknown genin, my Lord."

"That is unacceptable!" He backhanded the operative. "You have threatened ROOT's future. You are _useless_ to me now."

He returned to his chair and studied the failure in front of him. The young man remained still, ignoring the blood that now flowed freely from his split lip. Danzo turned his attention to the remaining operatives. "Return to your cells and await my next orders."

The trio stood, formally bowed, and left him alone with the unmasked boy. Danzo leaned back and thought through his options. He couldn't undo what these fools had done, but that didn't mean that he couldn't use this failure in a way that might advance his cause. The question was, how to twist the events properly.

A smile made its way to Danzo's lips. This particular ROOT operative was one that he had hand-picked from one of the farthest points in Fire Country, and as such, the boy would be unknown to those within Konoha. His coloring and build were closer to the occupants of Iwa than Konoha, and that opened up a string of possibilities that would enable him to push this backward little village that much closer to choosing to replace the current Hokage.

He opened one of the drawers of his desk and pulled out a tanto of Iwa design. The artificial light of the overhead bulb reflected along its blade as he placed it onto the top of the desk.

"Remove your vest and bracers."

He watched as steady hands did exactly that. Danzo then pressed a button on the side of his desk. A moment later, and one of his other operatives entered wearing a nondescript outfit. That young man knelt before him, head down, awaiting his orders.

"You, and three others, are to dress in Konoha's chunin uniforms and bring this failure to Zone Twenty. Once there, use the tanto on my desk to dispatch him in a manner that makes it appear he was killed and stripped by Iwa shinobi. Be prepared to turn the body over to the ANBU who will most assuredly stumble across your team."

When he finished speaking, his soldier rose and left to gather his team together. Less than five minutes later they returned. The operative he'd assigned the mission to moved forward to pick up the tanto. Just as his fingers touched the hilt, Danzo spoke.

"You are to make certain that our organization is in no way connected to what occurred with the Hatake boy."

"Yes, sir."

With that said, the team led their former comrade out of Danzo's office. He knew that his orders would be followed to the letter, and decided that the best thing for him to do now was to make sure that the Hokage was aware that he had sent members of ROOT out to aid in tracking down the culprits. This would serve to provide the appropriate reason for his team to be out there, while reenforcing the facade he had in place for the occupants of Konoha regarding his training regiment.

Before the day was out, he expected the success of this current team to spread through all of the gossip channels within Konoha. Soon the entire village would hear about how it was _his_ trained shinobi that managed to track the enemy down. And by the end of the week he would be approached by many of the villagers, who had children young enough to be considered for his training, begging him to consider them as applicants. Which, of course, would allow him to pick the best of those offered to replace this single operative that had failed him.

All in all, he was satisfied with this solution. For now, he needed to track down Sarutobi and find out just how much the Hatake prodigy had been able to puzzle out through his latest encounter with ROOT. And also discover just how much this unknown genin might know. That, in itself, would determine what his next steps would be in his plan to acquire Kakashi Hatake.


	16. Misunderstandings and Minor Annoyances

Chapter 16

Misunderstandings and Minor Annoyances

Minato stood in front of the door to his student's apartment and rubbed along the back of his neck. The weeks following the attempted abduction of Kakashi Hatake had been filled with endless meetings between him and countless ANBU and jonin-level teams. The Hokage did not want to take a chance with another attempt on the silver-haired boy, and at the same time, the man had made it clear to Minato that he intended to involve him in every aspect of the preparations for the information gathering missions to give him a better idea of just what the role of the Hokage was in such things. And, more importantly, how to keep his personal feelings out of the decisions made in such issues.

If he had been given a choice in the matter, he'd have been out there in the thick of things trying to find whoever had the nerve to target _his_ student. But the Hokage had been adamant that he needed to start his transition into the role that he'd planned for him. Because of this, right now was the first chance he'd had to really meet up with Kakashi one on one in five and a half weeks. He knew that the boy had been spending most of his time with T&I being questioned over and over on the details of his encounters with the masked shinobi. And any time he spent not being grilled for details by the ANBU, he was at the hospital having tests done to ensure that he had no lasting effects from his most recent encounter, or the failed attempt at releasing the chakra seal.

Minato frowned. How could he ever make it up to Kakashi for making such a stupid mistake? If he'd only left the boy's chakra unhindered then he'd very likely have managed to fight off the assailants without needing to try to break the seal. He was startled out of his string of thoughts by the sound of the door opening in front of him. Standing just inside of the entry was Kakashi...wearing his sleeveless mask shirt, and having his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his uniform pants. The boy looked exhausted, and it occurred to Minato that the kid probably hadn't slept a full night since his latest escape from the hospital.

Several uncomfortable moments of silence were followed by Kakashi turning around and walking back into his room without a word. The door had been left open, and Minato decided that it was as close to an invitation into the boy's personal space as he was going to get at this point. So, swallowing down the latest surge of guilt, he stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him. Kakashi sat on the foot of his bed, watching every move that he made with eyes that somehow seemed duller than he remembered. Minato self-consciously threaded his fingers through his hair as he moved to the small desk and chair just to the side of the bed. Once he'd positioned the chair to face Kakashi, he sat down with an exaggerated sigh. The only response from the boy was a subtle rise in one of his silver eyebrows.

Minato frowned and decided to just get to the point of his visit. "The Hokage has given us clearance to return to our training starting tomorrow."

Kakashi tipped his head to the left ever so slightly, making it clear that he wasn't going to make this easy on him. Again the silence grew uncomfortable between them before Minato couldn't stand it anymore. He leaned forward until his elbows were perched on his knees.

"Listen, Kakashi. About what happened..." He paused and scratched behind his ear, looking anywhere but into the boy's emotionless eyes. "I never meant to put you in any kind of danger. I never would have sealed your chakra off if I'd known an attack like that was even a possibility."

"You knew."

Minato snapped his head up to look at Kakashi's face. It still showed no real emotion, but the set of his shoulders seemed a bit tighter than before. "I know. I know. I should have believed you when you first told me about the masked shinobi."

His admission was met with more icy silence. Minato wasn't sure how to make any of this better, and he chose to avert his eyes from Kakashi's face once more. Instead, he glanced at the boy's hands where they were resting upon his knees. The knuckles were scraped raw, as were the tips of his fingers. Minato narrowed his gaze as he realized that only the fingers of the boy's left hand showed any damage. He looked back up with a stern gaze, and this time it was Kakashi who looked away.

"What have you been doing that only one hand is damaged like that?"

When it became clear that there wasn't going to be an answer forthcoming, Minato narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Answer me, Kakashi."

A small sigh proceeded that response. "Training."

He let a low growl out of his throat. "What _kind_ of training?"

"Stamina training."

Minato rolled his eyes at how stubborn the boy could be, and changed his tactic. "Kakashi, have you been back to the cliff?"

The defiant tilt of the boy's chin was impossible to miss. "Yes."

"And have you been trying to climb it one-handed again?"

"I wasn't trying...I was _doing_."

This time Minato let his full anger seep into every word. "Dammit, Kakashi! You should never have gone back there! Especially without me there!"

His anger was matched by the venom-laced words thrown back at him. "Why the hell not? It isn't like having you there before helped any!"

Minato's eyes went wide and his mouth hung open in shock. He couldn't remember the last time he'd heard the chunin use so much raw emotion, and it completely caught him off-guard. He honestly had no idea how to respond. Thankfully, it seemed that Kakashi had been as surprised by his angry words as he had been, and the boy frowned before he continued to speak, barely above a whisper.

"I didn't mean it, Sensei."

Minato sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Don't worry about it, Kakashi. Let's just move on, okay? Now let me see your hands and I'll see if I have anything to fix you up."

It was clear to him that Kakashi really didn't want him to see the damage, so he made a point to reach out and grab hold of the closest hand. He bit back the urge to yell at the boy again for his recklessness, especially once he saw just how much the idiot had ripped up the pads of his fingers. Rightfully he should have marched the boy straight over to the hospital to be treated, but he knew better than to choose that battle right now. He shook his head slightly, reaching into the pouch at his side and pulling out his first aid kit. He removed his strongest astringent and proceeded to dab it over the cuts and abrasions. Through it all, Kakashi showed no reaction whatsoever. He didn't even tense a single muscle when the medication seeped into the open wounds.

Minato shook his head once more and moved on to the boy's right hand, already knowing that he wouldn't find the same level of injury. As predicted, he didn't find any sign of damage to Kakashi's fingers, and so he moved his attention to an abrasion on the boy's wrist instead. It became immediately clear that what he was treating this time was a rope burn, and the fact that they were as bad as they were made him question his student's sanity once again. He finished rubbing a balm onto the abused skin and then looked up into Kakashi's face.

"Promise me that you won't try this exercise again without me."

The chunin turned away from him without saying a word. Minato pushed back his chair with an exaggerated sigh. "I give up, Kakashi. You win. You obviously know better than I do about how best to train you. I'll ask the Third to reassign you in the morning. I'm sure that someone else out there will make a much better sensei for you."

He watched as Kakashi's shoulders tensed as he had spoken, and so he hoped that what he said next might just get the boy to interact with him again, even if it was with anger. He leaned back and threaded his fingers together behind his head.

"I know! I'll ask Jiraiya-sensei to convince his teammate, Orochimaru, to take you under his wing! I'm sure that a prodigy such as yourself will blossom under the teachings of another genius."

It took less than a second after he'd finished speaking for Kakashi to spin around to face him once more. He could definitely tell that he might have pushed the boy too far this time. His dark eyes held such a look of utter abandonment and anger that Minato's heart nearly broke, and it became clear that what he'd meant as a way to snap the boy out of his self-destructive streak might have been a miscalculation on his part.

"Go ahead! _Leave!_ You're no better than _he_ was!"

Oh, shit. That was definitely not the reaction he had been hoping for. He held his hands up between them in what he hoped would be a placating manner.

"Hold on, Kakashi. I was only joking. _Really_! I told you before that I'd never leave you alone, remember? Come on, kid. Let's just calm down and talk things out, okay?"

He watched with baited breath as Kakashi closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When those dark eyes opened once more, all traces of the boy's ragged emotions were gone.

"I'm tired, Sensei. Can't this wait until later?"

Minato frowned. Part of him didn't want to let this drop quite yet, but another part jumped at the opportunity to regroup his thoughts before he blurted out something else that could be taken the wrong way. "Sure Kakashi. It can wait. I'll stop by later and treat you to lunch, okay?"

Instead of answering him, Kakashi simply moved to the head of his bed and crawled under his comforter. Taking the not-so-subtle hint, Minato let himself out of the boy's apartment. Once he pulled the door closed, he leaned back against it, closed his eyes, and let out a frustrated sigh. How was he supposed to handle Kakashi when every single thing he said or did set the kid off?

Yeah, sure, he could have handled the whole masked shinobi information better. But, really, he doubted that any other sensei out there would have thought that there was anything nefarious behind it all. Or was it simply that he hadn't wanted to believe that something so sinister would plague the boy after the many hardships he'd already had to survive?

"If you are trying to blend in with the door, Minato, you are failing miserably."

He snapped his eyes open at the familiar voice of one of his sensei's teammates. Standing in front of him, with his hands shoved in his pockets, and his dark hair flowing over his shoulders, was Orochimaru. The man's lips curved into a smirk before he continued speaking.

"But then, I suppose I shouldn't expect much, considering who trained you."

Minato frowned and pushed himself off of the door, standing tall in front of the Sannin. He chose to ignore the obvious insult to his sensei, knowing that this man would thrive on such a reaction. Instead, he decided to change the subject.

"It's rare to find you in this part of the village. Did you somehow take a wrong turn during your morning walk?"

Orochimaru's yellow eyes narrowed just a touch. "What I am doing here is of no concern to you, Namikaze."

Minato smiled sweetly at the man. "Ah, yes, forgive my curiosity. It's just that Jiraiya-sensei often spoke of your occasional failings at navigation. And I was simply offering my aid in redirecting you to where you were going."

"You shouldn't concern yourself, boy. Your sensei has always had the habit of making up tales to suit his whims." Orochimaru took a step toward him and leaned in close to whisper in his ear. "As you can see, considering my destination is right behind you, my navigational skills are still quite sharp."

Minato frowned. "You intend to visit Kakashi?"

"That would explain why I am still standing here. Do try to keep up."

"Then you may want to try again later. Kakashi was just settling in for some much needed sleep."

He watched as Orochimaru's eyes shifted to the apartment door before refocusing on him. "Is the boy continuing to suffer from his encounter with the white-masked foes? Or is it the unorthodox release of your seal that is still hindering him? Perhaps I should take him to have additional tests performed."

"That isn't necessary. Kakashi simply trained harder than he should have this morning and needs to rest a bit."

The two locked gazes, silently challenging each other, and after several moments, Orochimaru curved his lips into a thin smile. "I will leave the boy to your care, Minato...for now."

Before he had a chance to respond to what he felt was a not-so-veiled threat from the Sannin, Orochimaru lifted his hand into jutsu position and disappeared in a spiral of flame. Minato let a puff of air out and moved to lean on the railing across from Kakashi's door. It was more than a bit unnerving that the man had been there when he'd only just been using Orochimaru's name to get a rise out of his student. And even more unsettling to know that he had the intention of visiting that very same student.

Minato turned his attention to the streets below him, where various shinobi and civilians made their ways to wherever it was that they were going. Many of them chatted amiably with those around them, and he wondered if there would ever be a day that he and Kakashi would carry on that way. Somehow, after the way this day was turning out, he doubted it.

He stood back up, closed his eyes, and pushed his fingers through his hair. If things kept going the way they were, he'd end up pulling his hair out in frustration. And somehow he doubted that the 'Bald Flash' would instill the level of fear that the 'Yellow Flash' currently did.

"You look like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, Minato."

He opened his eyes once more and turned to face this latest visitor. But instead of just one person, he saw the Ino-Shiko-Cho trio staring back at him. A smile was stretched across Choza's lips, making it clear that he'd been the one who'd spoken to him. Meanwhile Inoichi and Shikaku stood a step behind the big man, content to simply watch the conversation unfold. Minato sighed and leaned back against the railing with his arms crossed.

"I wouldn't say that it's the weight of the world."

The red-haired man chuckled. "No, I suppose not. More likely it's the weight of a certain chunin prodigy."

Minato couldn't help but laugh at the astute comment. "That would be closer to the truth. Although I think I might add the sudden unexpected foot traffic in the vicinity of that chunin prodigy to the list too."

This seemed to catch Shikaku's attention. "What other visitors has Kakashi been receiving?"

He sighed. "It's probably nothing. I think I'm just over-thinking things today, that's all."

This time Inoichi stepped toward him, leveling a stare at him that sent a chill up Minato's spine. "Who was it? Danzo?"

He frowned. "_Danzo_? No. He hasn't confronted Kakashi since the seal incident."

"Seal incident?"

He watched Inoichi glance at the remainder of the trio. After receiving a subtle shake of the head from Shikaku, and a not-so-subtle shrug from Choza, he turned his attention back to Minato.

"We'll come back to the seal incident later. Who was here besides us?"

Minato rubbed along the back of his neck, wondering how much he should say to these three jonin. As though sensing his hesitation, Shikaku crossed over to where he was standing and placed one hand on his shoulder.

"Understand this, Minato. Although it may be a drag at times, we consider Kakashi Hatake as a member of our families. We will do whatever is needed to keep the boy safe. But if you withhold the information that may threaten him, how can we do this?"

Minato took a slow breath, taking the time to look each man in the eyes. All he saw was exactly what Shikaku had described; a burning desire to help if it had to do with Kakashi. He took one last look toward the boy's apartment door before turning toward the trio.

"Do any of you know why Orochimaru might be taking a personal interest in Kakashi?"

All three of the men seemed surprised by the name, and this just added to Minato's thoughts that perhaps he truly was becoming paranoid. He was about to say just that when the door to Kakashi's apartment opened and the young chunin stepped out to join them. The boy's eyes narrowed at the gathering of jonin.

Minato smiled at the boy, trying his best not to look guilty at being caught talking about him. "Up so soon, Kakashi? Did you want to head to lunch already?"

The cold stare he received was enough to make his smile slip. "It's a little hard to rest when you're out here making so much noise, Sensei."

Minato felt his cheeks warm in embarrassment. "So then, you heard us?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes and muttered his reply. "Iwa could probably hear you."

Before he could respond to his student's comment, Choza's deep laughter surrounded them all. "I never thought I'd see the day that Kakashi Hatake made a joke!"

That was enough to shift the boy's attention off of him and onto the trio. Minato couldn't help but feel a bit of relief at that. He'd never get used to those haunted eyes boring into him, and right then and there, Minato pledged to himself to do whatever it took to help his student find a way to wipe that look away forever.

* * *

Kakashi frowned at the way Choza was laughing at him. He hadn't meant his comment to be a joke. He didn't joke...ever. He was simply pointing out that his sensei really needed better control of his volume. But if there was one constant with the overly exuberant member of the Trio, it was that he was always trying to turn everything he said into a joke.

Under his icy stare, the big man had the decency to stop chortling long enough for Kakashi to speak. "You're all jonin. You should be quieter...especially if you didn't want me to hear what you were discussing."

"_Enough_, Kakashi!"

He felt the air near the back of his head push toward him, giving him just enough warning to duck under his sensei's attempt to slap him. He stood back up, turned to face his sensei, and fought down the urge to challenge the man's authority. Instead, he bowed before him, and pushed words through a throat that was unexpectedly tight.

"Sorry, Sensei."

Once the words had left his lips, the tightness shifted from his throat down to his chest, and his breathing became a tiny bit labored. For some unknown reason, he was having a tough time controlling his flares of anger today. He didn't understand it, and when Kakashi didn't understand something it made him even less patient. He supposed that it might have something to do with the fact that he had yet to have a night go by where he wasn't dreaming of white-masked attackers. But he'd had far worse nightmares in his past and not been this on edge. Then again, it could be pent up frustration over the fact that he'd be under surveillance of some sort every time he stepped out of his apartment since his last attack. Regardless, he ran Shinobi Rule twenty five through his mind over and over until he'd regained some semblance of control over his emotions.

Kakashi stood tall once more, those emotions securely in check, and turned away from where the jonin were watching him. He returned his hands to his pockets and started walking toward the stairs that led down to the street. He'd almost made it to the first step when a familiar voice calling up from below caused him to stop short.

"Ah! There you are, my Eternal Rival! I was afraid that you would have forgotten our most glorious date!"

He cringed slightly at the volume of his self-declared rival, and turned back to see the looks on the jonin's faces. To his dismay, all four of them seemed to be chuckling at Gai's declaration. Kakashi returned his gaze down the steps to lock on the dark eyes of the genin.

"It's not a _date_, Gai. It's an _appointment_." He started down the stairs, ignoring the snickering from behind him. "And it isn't until tomorrow."

By the time he was at street level, he had found Gai sitting in the dirt with the contents of his backpack strewn around him. If Kakashi hadn't been sure of the boy's sanity before, he was definitely unsure about it now. Along with ten notebooks, and numerous pens and pencils, he'd spotted twenty good-sized rocks, two tape dispensers, various scrolls, at least a dozen ration bars, five apples, six pears, three rice balls, and more than a few items that he couldn't identify at all. But it was what was laying across Gai's lap that nearly brought a chuckle to his lips. The boy had a full-sized wall calender spread out across his knees, and he was scratching his head as he looked down at the thing.

Kakashi moved closer, being mindful not to step on any of Gai's treasures. Once he was standing just behind the kid, it was easy to see what the problem was. He sighed, which caused the spandex-wearing boy to tip his head back.

"Gai, when did I say that we would meet to spar?"

"On the twenty-fourth of November! Which is why I am here!" He thrust his finger at the calendar in his lap. "Today is Thursday, is it not?"

"Yes, Gai. Today is Thursday. But the twenty-fourth is on Friday, not Thursday."

He watched as two unbelievably bushy eyebrows met over the boy's nose, and a frown formed on his lips. Again Gai turned and pointed out the date on the calendar in his lap.

"But, my Eternal Rival, it says right here that the twenty-fourth is a Thursday!"

With another sigh Kakashi leaned over the idiot's shoulder and pointed to the top of the calendar page. "You're looking at last year's calendar, Gai."

A moment of silence followed Kakashi's declaration before Gai starting shoving everything back into his pack. "Do you think that is why the man at the store didn't charge me for it?"

"More than likely, Gai. But, as it is, we'll need to reschedule our spar."

Water filled the kid's eyes, and Kakashi braced himself for another round of Gai's famous waterworks. But, surprisingly, the tears didn't fall. Instead, with a sniffle and slight quiver in his bottom lip, the genin bowed low to the ground at his feet.

"I did not mean to get the year wrong, my Eternal Rival. Please do not stop sparring with me for my grave error in...in...umm..."

Gai lifted his head up and glanced around, as though the word he was obviously searching for might be somewhere around him. Just when Kakashi was about to stop the nonsense, the boy jumped to his feet and threw his arms out to the side in a grand gesture.

"I've got it! Forgive my grave error in mixing up when our date was!"

Kakashi rubbed his forehead, trying to push back the headache that tended to show up anytime he was around this kid for anything other than sparring. "Dammit, Gai...stop calling it a date! And I said that I needed to _reschedule_, not _cancel_, our _appointment_. Minato-sensei and I have training tomorrow, that's all."

Now the font of tears started, and Kakashi wasn't quite quick enough to avoid the green-clad arms as they circled around his waist. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. I will never get the date wrong again! If I ever do I will climb up the stairs to the top of the Big Heads on my hands!"

"That's fine, Gai. I'm sure that you'll never get the date wrong again." He managed to get his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Now let go of me before you drown me in your tears."

A moment later and Kakashi was freed from the circle of spandex. Unfortunately, it was not before the kid had managed to soak his uniform shirt through to his skin. He glanced back up the stairs, hoping that the gaggle of jonin were no longer there, but he could see them watching everything he was doing, and it made him unbelievably annoyed. So instead, he shoved his hands deep into his pants pockets and stormed off down the road, leaving a sniffling Gai behind him. He was just settling in to his walk when an overly loud voice called out to him.

"Kakashi! Wait! You haven't told me when our next date is!"

He cringed at both the volume and the choice of words. But then, his lips curved into a smirk as he turned back to face Gai. He pitched his voice so that it would reach the kid, knowing full well that the nosy jonin still huddled in front of his apartment door would hear him as well.

"You'll need to ask Minato-sensei. He's the one who knows the training schedule."

He saw Gai strike another rather disturbing pose, this time with both thumbs sticking up in the air. "That is a most helpful suggestion, my Eternal Rival! I will do just that!"

Kakashi had already turned back around before the last word was out of the kid's mouth. Now all he needed to do was find somewhere that no one would be likely to find him for awhile. With the Trio in the mix, his list of places would be drastically reduced. Those three knew most of his usual haunts by now. And the idea of training quickly faded when he felt the abrasions on his wrist flare up.

With a long sigh, he turned a random corner and stopped short in front of one of the lesser known book shops. It was tucked into a quiet corner of the street, set back from the other shops around it. A display of brightly covered books caught his eye. He'd seen similar displays in the other shops in the Village, but this one showed a rainbow of colors rather than just one or two. He glanced around once more to make sure that no one saw him, and then he slipped in through the doorway. A small brass bell announced his entry, but no one rushed to greet him, so he moved into one of the aisles that would block view of him from those passing by.

For a moment, he felt a surge of anxiety when the smells of the older bookstore surrounded him. His eyes darted around the place, and he briefly thought that he could smell the smoke from burning books, and hear the shouts of the enemy from the street. But a moment later, and he shook himself free of the memories of Shitajiki, reminding himself that he was in Konoha, and there would be no need to destroy the rows upon rows of books that surrounded him. Once he'd regained his control, he moved through the aisles like a ghost, barely disturbing the thin layer of dust that had settled on every horizontal surface, until he found a section that contained reference books on jutsu and other shinobi subjects. Kakashi ran his thumb along the spines of the books, reading the names as he went. He owned, or had already read, a vast majority of them, but every now and then he'd come across one he'd never seen before.

Soon, he had a pile of books in his arms, and was heading toward the counter to pay for them. It was while he was waiting for his turn that he spied the colorful books that were shown in the window display. He wondered briefly why something in the front window was stuck all the way in the back corner of the store, but before he could give it more than a passing thought, it was his turn at the checkout.

"That's quite a few books you've got there, boy. Are you sure that you wouldn't rather just buy one or two and then come back next month for the next couple?"

Kakashi set the towering stack of books down on the counter and reached for his money. "How much?"

"Not really a talker, huh?"

Kakashi leveled his best annoyed look at the man. "I wasn't aware that talking was a prerequisite for buying books."

"Ah, sorry about that. Just not used to seeing someone so young in here. My regular customers don't tend to want to chat, either."

When Kakashi made no response, the man silently picked up each book in turn, rang them into the register, and then placed them into two bags before telling Kakashi what he owed. The cost, although slightly more than he'd originally planned to spend, was still significantly less than he'd have paid if he went to one of the other bookstores in the main part of the village. So, with his purchase in hand, and feeling far better than he had in months, Kakashi stepped back out into the streets of Konoha. All he had to do now was make it back to his apartment without running across any more wayward jonin or green-clad genin. Treating it like the S-class mission it was, in his mind at least, Kakashi blended into the crowd and headed for his building.

* * *

Danzo sat behind his desk and gazed over his folded hands at the gathering of soldiers before him. Each member of this particular team was handpicked by him to do nothing more than gather data on the elusive chunin brat. This task had been made more difficult when it became clear that the boy had gotten in the habit of making sure that he was never alone when out training since the debacle at the cliff. When he wasn't with the strange spandex-wearing genin, who turned out to be the fool who had helped Kakashi escape during that failed attempt, then the boy had his infernal mutts surrounding him.

"Report."

That single word had been enough to cause his soldiers to become all the more alert, and the assigned mission leader took one step forward before he and all the members of the team went down on one knee.

"The target is becoming more difficult to tail, Sir. In addition to the known company of the genin and the Target's nin-hounds, four new obstacles are now in play. The Target's jonin-sensei will be resuming training starting tomorrow, and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio has been taking a more active approach at watching over him."

Danzo frowned at that news, but he waited to comment until the report was completed.

"In addition, the Snake Sannin, has been spotted several times openly observing the Target, and the Hokage has recently assigned an ANBU detail to be present anytime the Target is at the more remote training fields"

This complicated matters and meant that he would need to rethink whether or not the prize would be worth the cost to obtain it. Yes, he had always dreamed of having a soldier with a mind like the one Hatake held to be a member of ROOT. But, with this added attention in everything the chunin did, it would be months before he could justify making another attempt at obtaining him. And, as was becoming more plain with each passing day, the boy would likely be resistant to his current conditioning techniques.

"Has the added attention gone unnoticed by the target?"

There was a barely perceptible pause. "The target has made it clear to all involved parties that he is aware of their presence."

He leaned forward and narrowed his eyes at the operative. "_All_ involved parties?"

Danzo noted a slight tensing in the team leader's shoulders, but their voice remained calm as they continued. "The target sent a spray of senbon into the treeline where we were set up. Although none hit us, we took it for the warning it was and pulled our surveillance back. The next day, the target used a similar tactic to dissuade the ANBU. While he was far less subtle with the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, they too have fallen back to less obvious locations."

"What of Orochimaru?"

"The Snake Sannin never attempted to hide his presence. He would move to the perimeter of wherever the target was working, sit down, and simply watch. After the first time, the target ignored him and the two never spoke."

Danzo leaned back in his chair. Just what game was Orochimaru playing at? He frowned as he ran the problem through his mind over and over again. No matter how he approached it, he continued to come up with the same result; as long as so many others had their attention on the boy, he would have no chance at all to obtain him. And following directly behind _that_ realization came a thought that pulled a sly smile across his lips. The solution was actually simple. What he needed to provide was something that would occupy every one of Hatake's self-appointed guardians, including the Sannin, and open up new opportunities for his own operatives to claim the prize.

He pushed himself up to standing, relying on the cane in his hand far more than he was willing to admit. With slow, deliberate steps, Danzo crossed to the door. He paused just before he would step into the hall and addressed his soldiers, pleased to see that not a single one of them had shifted position yet.

"You will continue to observe the target until further notice. Report back to me the moment there is any marked change in your findings."

As one, all five ROOT operatives responded. "Yes, Sir!"

Confident that his orders would be followed, he turned his attention back to this newest wrinkle. He needed to return to the Hokage Tower with haste. After all, it would take him more than a bit of time to convince his fellow Advisers that the only answer to Iwa's supposed attempt at capturing the White Fang's only child, and their constant advances into Konoha territory, should be an official declaration of war. And once the fools fell into line, which he knew that they would, then every one of Kakashi Hatake's guardians would be far too busy to watch the boy's every move. And, although a full indoctrination into ROOT may not be possible any longer, Danzo could always place the chunin into an inescapable genjutsu that would provide him with one more pawn in his overall plans.

He chuckled quietly as he came to a branch in the hallway. This would work well for his long term goals. With one fell swoop, he would be able to discredit Sarutobi's abilities as Hokage by plunging Konoha into an intense multi-village conflict, while having one of that man's precious people turned against him. In fact, popular opinion of Sarutobi should take a drastic dip, which will open the way for Danzo to step in and take the role which should always have been his from the start...that of Hokage.


	17. Festering Below the Surface

Chapter 17

Festering Below the Surface

Orochimaru laced his fingers behind his head as he leaned against one of the larger trees lining the edge of Training Field Seventeen. It had taken him over two hours to track down which location that blond fool had taken White-Fang's brat, and then he had to snake his way through a series of complex traps and wards before he could gain access to the remote area. A few of the more subtle traps had actually managed to singe the ends of his hair, and if the chakra-signature was anything to go by, it seemed that the silver-haired boy was their creator. And, if he really thought about it, that fact wasn't a surprise to him at all. This was Sakumo Hatake's child, after all. It was simple logic to think that the boy would have inherited some of the skills of his father.

He could still remember back to the day that Hatake and his pregnant wife had entered Konoha asking for asylum. Orochimaru had been coming back from a rather tedious solo mission, and he had wanted nothing more than to get back to his room and take a hot shower. But he had been stopped at the gate and was issued orders to act as an escort for two foreign visitors that needed to be brought in front of the Second and Third Hokage immediately. Orochimaru had wanted to refuse, but when he noticed the young woman sitting quietly on a chair near the check-in point he had reconsidered. She was obviously in the third trimester of her pregnancy, and had looked as though the slightest wind might have knocked her over, but there was a serene look on her face that made her seem almost regal.

In stark contrast to that finely-boned specimen stood Sakumo Hatake. He towered over the petite woman, making it clear without speaking a single word that he would protect her until his dying breath. And, even though he had likely been suppressing the majority of his chakra at the time, an aura of power surrounded the white-haired man, hinting at just what he had to offer Konoha should he be allowed to stay. To get to the fact of the matter, Orochimaru decided that he didn't like the man from the moment his eyes locked with the other man's dark gray orbs. And when those eyes narrowed at him, it became clear that Sakumo had no trust for him, either. Which was perfectly fine with him.

A sudden spike of chakra from the direction of the woman had caught, and held, Orochimaru's attention. A fine sheen of sweat covered her pale brow, and her tapered nose flared a tiny bit from what he assumed was pain. When her delicate hand moved to rest on her swelled belly, it became clear that the pain must have been caused by the unborn child within. Another sharp surge of unfamiliar chakra caused a slight whimper to slip through her lips, and it was in that instant that Orochimaru realized it wasn't the woman's chakra that he was feeling, but rather it was that of the child. A quick glance up at the crease in Sakumo's brow made it clear that she was not quite far enough along in the pregnancy for this to be happening.

At that point Orochimaru had made a move that no one, himself included, would have expected. He stepped over to where the woman was still in obvious discomfort and picked her up in his arms. After telling the chunin on watch to send word to the Hokage, and to bring Sakumo to the hospital, he transported himself and the woman directly into Tsunade's private office. The look on his teammate's face went from surprise, to fury, and then settled on concern once she spied what was in his arms. And when yet another white-hot chakra spike happened, the blond-haired woman was all business in how she'd taken Hatake's wife out of Orochimaru's arms and whisked her off to the operating suites.

Less than twelve hours later, Kakashi Hatake had been brought into the world nearly two months earlier than his parents had expected. And, in a cruel twist of fate, hours later the boy had become motherless due to the complications of the birth. But, if one truly looked at just the facts from the past, the silver-haired child actually owed his very existence to Orochimaru's quick thinking. So, it was only natural that he should feel a bit possessive of the child, even now.

He watched while Namikaze sparred with the boy. Although he despised Jiraiya with the deepest fiber of his being, he had to grudgingly admit that he'd managed to teach his student well. The young man's form and methodology was so far removed from how the white-haired fool from his own genin team sparred that Orochimaru often wondered if Minato had spent time with Sarutobi-sensei when the Toad-sage had been off on missions. It would explain how the student continued to excel even in the absence of the self-proclaimed author.

And now, he watched closely as some of those skills were being absorbed like a sponge by the young Hatake. At the pace he was learning, he could conceivably by worthy of jonin level before his next birthday. No wonder Danzo was drooling over the possibility of adding the boy to the ranks of Root. Under the right tutelage the possibilities would be endless. He closed his eyes and smiled while visions of what he could do with such a student ran through his mind.

* * *

Minato swung a full-force roundhouse kick at his student's head, followed immediately by a flurry of punches and palm thrusts that would have kept a seasoned jonin on the defensive. But Kakashi deflected each and every one of them, even getting his own attempts at hits in while he was at it, without a moment's hesitation. Each spar over the past weeks seemed to do nothing more than reinforce in Minato's mind that Kakashi lived up to the Genius Prodigy title he'd been labeled with while still at the Academy, and it made him worry that perhaps his own skills might soon be too little to keep up with the silver-haired boy. He vowed to speak with the Hokage and ask for some guidance on the subject before the week was out. Because the last thing that he wanted to do was fail the boy any more than he already had.

His mind had been so preoccupied that he almost missed blocking another of Kakashi's kicks. But, not being willing to admit such a thing out loud, he took the opportunity to call for a break. Once the two were settled against a rather large tree trunk at the edge of the training field, Minato noticed the Snake Sannin lounging against another tree opposite them. A frown settled on his lips as he passed his charge the canteen while voicing his observation.

"I see Orochimaru has decided to watch us today."

Kakashi, for his part, simply shrugged as he finished drinking. The boy didn't bother turning his attention to where the dark-haired man sat, choosing to take the momentary break in practice to stretch his arms and legs. Minato frowned at the chunin.

"Aren't you the least bit curious about why he's here?"

A small sigh left Kakashi's lips before he spoke. "I may have been curious the first six times he showed up, but at this point I don't bother paying it much mind."

Minato stared at his charge in shock. "Do you mean to tell me that this isn't the first time that the man has watched you?"

Again Kakashi shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Why bother?" The boy met his eyes with a harsh stare. "You probably wouldn't have believed me anyhow."

Minato's mouth dropped open and he could feel his cheeks flushing in an uncomfortable combination of shame and anger. "Dammit, Kakashi...I promised you after that last time that I'd listen to anything you had to say. Why didn't you say something about this?"

Kakashi pushed himself off the ground and gazed down at him with a half-lidded stare. "Why would I? Last I knew, he's a respected member of the Leaf Shinobi. If he wants to waste his time watching me train, who am I to stop him? At least he's not hiding his presence like the ANBU have been since that day."

Before Minato could manage to put together any type of response to those remarks, Kakashi had already moved back into the center of the training field and created a clone to spar with. He leaned back against the tree and looked up into the canopy of leaves above, hoping to find an answer to the perplexing problem that was Kakashi Hatake. Instead of finding that answer, he noticed a cluster of leaves that were moving in a direction that was opposite to those being stirred by the gentle breeze. He reached for his weapon pouch but stayed his hand at the short flare of familiar chakra that came from above. It was enough to prove to him that Kakashi's comment about the ANBU watching over him was accurate, but he couldn't help wondering why the Hokage hadn't filled him in on such a thing.

It wasn't like the old man didn't have the opportunity. Hell, every waking moment that he wasn't with his student was spent at the Hokage's side. And, considering the man was something of a genius himself, Minato doubted that he'd have forgotten to mention something so obviously important. Which meant that there must have been a logical reason for the omission. Unfortunately, as much as he thought about it, he simply couldn't come up with a single valid reason.

Minato shifted his attention back toward the center of the clearing, figuring he'd watch his charge a bit longer before joining in again. What he saw made him stare in wide-eyed disbelief. Lord Orochimaru was currently standing next to Kakashi and correcting the boy's hold on a katana. Which was more than a bit odd, as he hadn't yet introduced the chunin to that particular weapon. He was about to move in and put an end to it when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. The familiar chakra soothed away his concern almost as much as the timber of the Hokage's voice at his side.

"Let's see where this leads, Minato."

"About that, Lord Hokage. How long have you known about Lord Orochimaru's...interest...in Kakashi's training?"

When all he received was silence from the older man, Minato turned to face him. But before he could ask anything more, Sarutobi spoke. "I was wondering how long it would be before my student tried his hand with the boy. I'm actually surprised that it took this long."

Minato frowned. "I don't understand. Why would you let him stalk Kakashi?"

The Hokage's laughter made him frown deeper yet. "Stalking? Isn't that just a bit harsh, my boy? Surely you aren't thinking that it's odd for the man to take interest in another genius? Especially after playing such a vital role in Kakashi's recent rescue?"

He wanted to say that he didn't trust the hungry look that he'd seen in the Sannin's eyes back at Kakashi's apartment. That he had a feeling that there was something..._wrong_...with the man. But one look into the Hokage's eyes made it clear that he'd never believe such accusations about his former student. And if Hiruzen Sarutobi harbored no concerns over the man, perhaps he truly was just being paranoid. He turned back toward the center of the field and watched as his and the Hokage's students worked through a series of routines with the katana. Rather than stopping when Kakashi's form was incorrect, the Snake Sannin pressed his advantage and pinned the boy to the ground, making it clear to the young chunin that he would have surely died if this was more than a practice. A quiet moment would pass, and then Orochimaru would step back. Kakashi would quickly return to his feet, and the two would start all over again.

They continued this pattern of sparring until, at last, Kakashi slipped through Orochimaru's defense. At first, the two stared at each other...one in amazement that he'd actually succeeded against the Sannin, and the other with a wry smile gracing his lips, sending a chill down Minato's spine. The Hokage chose that moment to appear beside the two and lay one hand on each of their shoulders. A moment later, and Minato's brain caught up with the old man's actions, and he joined the others just in time to hear him speak.

"I thought that you weren't interested in teaching brats, Orochimaru. Was I mistaken?"

The dark-haired man's gaze shifted toward the Hokage even as he and Kakashi lowered their weapons and stood to their full heights. "I believe that I had stated that I didn't want to waste my time with genin brats, Sarutobi-sensei."

The Hokage chuckled. "Ah, yes. And as we all know, Kakashi here is as far removed from a 'genin brat' as they come. Still, it would appear that perhaps you do hold the needed temperament to become a sensei after all."

While the two started to debate the Sannin's need to take on students, Minato turned his attention back to Kakashi. The boy was breathing harder than normal but otherwise seemed to be okay. He moved in front of the him, and was just about to make a joke about his besting Orochimaru, when he noticed several rivulets of dark red blood traveling down the boy's brow and arms. He spun on his heel and grabbed Orochimaru's vest in his hands, allowing his anger to settle over them in waves.

"You have the nerve to cut my student? _My student!_ How _dare_ you!?"

He'd expected the man in his grip to at least argue the point, but instead he gave a crooked smile and actually laughed at him.

"What did you expect, Namikaze? That the boy would learn proper form solely by reading scrolls about it?"

Minato pushed down the urge to throttle the man in his grip. "I expected you to realize Kakashi's limits!"

Again he was laughed at. "The only way to take in the proper training is to _live_ it. To do otherwise is to be unprepared. And, as I'm sure that even _you_ realize, as a shinobi, to be unprepared is to welcome your own death. Is that what you'd like me to teach the boy? How to die?"

He pulled the Sannin in closer before pushing his response through gritted teeth. "I believe that you don't always have to _bleed_ to gain the skills needed to survive as a shinobi."

The bastard actually had the gall to smirk at him! "Ah, yes. I should have known that your useless excuse for a Sensei would pass on his penchant for non-violence. Do you share his desire for research as well? Or are the Hot Springs still safe when the Toad is out of the Village?"

"Enough!" If the Hokage's tone of voice wasn't enough to silence the Sannin, the aura of power emanating off the older shinobi certainly was. "Minato, release Orochimaru."

* * *

Kakashi watched as his Sensei and the Snake Sannin stared daggers at each other. He may be a genius in everyone's eyes, but he couldn't see any purpose to the two men facing off for something as ridiculous as him bleeding during a practice session. Once he saw the blond-haired man let go of Orochimaru, he moved to stand next to Minato-sensei whiling wiping off some of the blood caked on his bare arm.

"Why does any of this matter, Sensei? I've bled more than this sparring with Gai."

He watched the man's clear blue eyes narrow as he faced him. "That's not the point, Kakashi."

He sighed in frustration. "Then what the hell _is_ the point? At least I was getting to work with something other than kunai and shuriken for a change!"

Kakashi had expected some kind of argument from his sensei, or at the very least he'd figured he'd get cuffed in the ear for cursing. Instead, Minato-sensei's expression became cold and unreadable. When the man spoke, the words were nearly as cold as his eyes.

"Training is over." Kakashi was about to point out that it was only mid-afternoon when he felt his sensei's chakra flare angrily in his direction. "Go..._now!_"

Frowning at the strange behavior, but not willing to lock horns with the man, he quickly bowed to the Hokage and Sannin before shoving his hands deep into his pockets and heading out of the training field. None of this made any sense to him, and he hated it when he couldn't puzzle out the reasons behind people's actions. Especially people that he had thought were there to watch his back. But he supposed that he should have known better. After all, his own father hadn't been willing to keep him safe, so why should he expect anyone else to do so in that man's absence?

Dark clouds seemed to increase as Kakashi's mood grew worse. And more than one of the scratches he'd received while sparring with Orochimaru was starting to to burn a bit. Soon, a rumble of thunder was quickly followed by the first fat drops of ice cold rain. Which, of course, fell directly on his nose, soaking into his mask almost instantly, and making his miserable mood grow that much darker. When the next rumble of thunder was followed directly by a bolt of lightning streaking across Kakashi's path, he barely flinched at the brilliant flash of light, or at the sound of it rending a nearby tree in two. In fact, the deeper he spiraled into his darkening thoughts, the less aware he became of his surroundings, until he lost all track of how long he'd been wandering through the forest that surrounded the Village of Konoha. It wasn't until he'd reached the Northern border of the Village lands that he'd stopped and blinked back the steady rain from his eyes, wondering just how he'd ended up all the way out here when he had been pretty sure that he'd been headed back to his apartment.

A shiver ran down his spine as the steady rain switched to a torrential downpour. Regardless of how he'd gotten here, he needed to find shelter before he got any wetter. So he pushed his water-logged bangs out of his eyes and took a closer look at his surroundings. Sure enough, he found the markings on a nearby tree that showed he was in the uppermost Northern corner of the Village lands. He closed his eyes once he had realized where the nearest shelter would be found. He'd just about convinced himself that the rain really was letting up now, and that he wouldn't need to go to _that place_, when the wind shifted direction and speed and nearly blew him off of his feet while driving the icy-cold rain into his already soaked clothing.

"Dammit!"

His voice was barely heard above the rusting of the trees around him. And even that noise was soon drowned out by the rolling thunder that alternated with the constant flashes of lightning all around him. Trees in every direction proved to be easy targets for nature's rapid-fire of bolts of electricity, and Kakashi knew that if he stayed where he was that there was a very high probability that he would either be struck by one of those errant bolts, or he would fall victim to one of the many trees that he was just starting to hear crashing in the gathering gloom. Accepting that there really was no other choice to where he could get out of harm's way, Kakashi chuckled to himself at the irony of it all as he trudged up the back path to one of the largest estates in this part of Konoha's lands.

Before him loomed the large stone wall that separated the grounds from the wilder trees surrounding it, and when he placed his palm against the smooth wooden gate which was just starting to become overgrown with vines, he was assaulted by the memories of the last time he'd come through this gate. It had been two days before his chunin exams had started, and he was going to visit the family shrine for some much needed calm. But when he entered that sacred area, it was already occupied by his father. The man had been oblivious to Kakashi's presence until he'd knelt next to him and reached forward to light another stick of incense. The movement caused the older man to react instantly, and before Kakashi knew what was happening he'd been grabbed by his wrist and tossed into the trunk of the nearest tree.

The wind had been knocked out of him, but what had truly hurt him the most on that day had been the blank stare he'd received from man. It was as though he hadn't even recognized him. So Kakashi had picked himself up off the ground and stormed back to the main house in sullen silence. When his father had returned later that day the two had ignored each other completely, and the next time Kakashi had seen the man had been the day that he'd taken his own life.

Pushing those dark memories down farther than they'd been before, Kakashi pushed open the gate and stepped through it and onto the path. He pushed down the sudden urge to visit the shrine and trudged on until, at last, the vague outline of one of the smaller out-buildings came into view. But before he could make it to it's relative safety a streak of lightning tore through the dark sky and struck that very same building, setting it ablaze even before the deafening crack of thunder finished being heard.

Kakashi's heart raced as he continued beyond the now useless shelter. The next building came into sight and he was relieved to see that it was still in one piece. It was one of the cook houses, and once he was inside he wasted no time breaking apart one of the rickety chairs and using the remains to set a fire in the fireplace before stripping out of his drenched outer clothing, leaving only his boxers on. He grabbed a few of the remaining chairs scattered around the room and set them up closest to the flames before draping his clothing over them. With luck the material would be dry before long. He sat on the floor as close to the fireplace as he could. Still, after a few moments he had started shivering uncontrollably.

Recognizing the need for him to get warmer as quickly as possible, he used one of his kunai and ran it along the pad of his thumb. One perfectly executed summoning later and he was facing his pack of nin-hounds. Pakuun seemed to understand the reason for their summoning immediately and before Kakashi had said a word he had been surrounded by the warmth of half a dozen four-legged bodies. Once he was finally shivering a bit less, the pug moved until he was more or less eye-level with him; a task made easier once he climbed on top of Bull's back.

"Not that we mind being here, Pup. But wouldn't it have been easier to just pop into your apartment for a dry uniform?"

He growled at the animal. "What's your point, mutt?"

"Humfph! So that's the thanks we get for keeping you from hypothermia."

Kakashi sighed. "Sorry, Pakuun. It's been a tough day."

As though to stress that thought, another resounding crash of thunder caused the building to shake, which set off another round of severe shivering. The hounds shifted to press closer against him in response. Pakuun moved as well, trying to work his way into Kakashi's arms, but the pug stopped short before meeting his eyes once more.

"You're wounded."

He turned away from the hound's accusing eyes. "It's nothing. I was sparring."

"Look's like you lost."

He glared at the animal on his lap. "I didn't ask for your opinion."

Pakuun snorted at him. "Yeah, well consider it a bonus for using us as blankets."

Kakashi was about to put the pug in his place, but when he opened his mouth to speak he yawned instead. He felt his cheeks flush, especially when several of the hounds starting chuckling at him. But before he could address their combined mutiny, Pakuun settled into the crook of his arms.

"Get some rest, Kid. We'll watch over you."

It was then that Kakashi realized just how tired he was. He chocked it up to the physically and emotionally draining day that he'd had. Hell, he felt as though he'd been dragged through the briars. And for a change he decided to listen to the far too vocal pug, closing his eyes and letting the sounds of his pack lull him to sleep.

* * *

The Third Hokage stared into his gazing crystal with a frown. Nine hours. It had been nine hours since anyone had seen Kakashi Hatake. And he had officially run out of places to search for him. He'd made it a point, over the years since Sakumo had died, to set his surveillance seals into every conceivable place that the surviving Hatake might go to find refuge. To date, he'd set over one hundred of those seals throughout the Village and it's surrounding lands. So for him to run out of places to search was simply unheard of. Which meant that there was a very real possibility that the boy may have run into trouble after he had left the training field earlier in the day.

Hiruzen ran his fingers through his graying hair. If only Minato hadn't chosen today to have Orochimaru step on that final nerve. Then he wouldn't have sent the boy away with such harshness. He'd seen the confusion in the youngster's eyes when his sensei had acted so coldly toward him. And, if it had been anyone other than his own student that the blond-haired man was about to confront, he would have excused himself and gone after the boy himself. But there was no way that he could conceivably leave those two men on their own. Not without risking the very real possibility that at least one of them may not have made it out of the discussion in one piece.

A knock on the door brought him out of his dark thoughts. He canceled the jutsu on the gazing crystal and moved back to sit at his desk before the door opened. His aide stood in the opening with a look that made it clear he was about to deliver more bad news. Yuunou moved closer to his desk and bowed before speaking.

"The ANBU have checked the remaining training fields, Lord Hokage. There was no sign that the Hatake boy had been there."

Hiruzen reached for his pipe, taking his time to tamp the fresh tobacco in place before lighting it. His aide waited patiently while he took a long draw on the pipe. He couldn't believe that none of the ANBU squads had managed to track the youngster down. He'd thought for certain that, once he'd assigned the task to them, the masked group would have located Sakumo's son within the hour. Now he had to rethink things, once again, and try to figure out what steps to take next. He sank back in his chair, taking another draw from his pipe before locking eyes with his aide.

" Yuunou, fetch the Counsel. I'll need their guidance in whatever step we take next."

The aide bowed deeply, and was just turning to leave, when a familiar lump of brown fur appeared at the entrance to the room. "Perhaps I should wait just a bit longer, Lord Hokage?"

He smiled at the man and took another slow draw from his pipe before setting it aside and addressing the latest visitor to the tower. "Ah, Pakuun. I trust that your appearance means that I can call off the search for your young master?"

The pug ambled up to his desk and jumped onto it's surface. Once he settled himself enough he responded to the question. "I'm not so sure that we want to let you find him until he's had a chance to rest a bit more. You don't seem to be caring for him all that well."

Hiruzen had to bite back a laugh at the face his aide was wearing after such a declaration from the hound. He had to remind himself that not all of Konoha's citizens had actually experienced dealing with the likes of Kakashi's nin-hounds before.

"Now, now, Pakuun. You know how the boy can be. Ninety percent of his injuries would have healed much quicker if only he'd allowed my medic-nin to tend to him."

The eyes set within the brown fur narrowed at him. "Don't pull that line with me, kid. You and I both know that these latest cuts were caused today during his training. Who the hell was he sparring with?"

Hiruzen rubbed along the back of his neck at the pug's harsh words. He glanced up at his aide before motioning the young man out of the office. Although he trusted Yuunou with much of what was discussed within this room, he wasn't quite sure that he wanted word of what he was about ti speak of to reach ears outside quite yet. Once he was certain that the door had been firmly shut, triggering the ever-present sound-dampening jutsu installed in the door itself, he returned his attention to the hound sitting on his desk.

"Now then, Pakuun. Where were we?"

A low growl came from the hound's lips. "Stop stalling. What is going on that you'd send the kid into a rainstorm sporting so many wounds?"

Hiruzen frowned. He'd known that Kakashi had been on the receiving end of a few nicks and scrapes, but surely he hadn't been _that_ gravely injured, had he? He thought back to the way Minato and Orochimaru had been acting, and a sinking feeling entered the pit of his stomach. Was there truly that much damage done to the young man? Had he been so busy dealing with the battle of wills between his own student and Minato that he'd neglected the fact that perhaps the young jonin had a real reason to attack Orochimaru? Of course, he couldn't exactly admit any of that to the pug, now could he? So he placed his most innocent of smiles on his lips and leaned back in his chair before addressing him.

"It's no concern of yours, Pakuun. So, will you be letting me know where my favorite chunin has run off to?"

Silence reigned in the office as it seemed that the pug was seriously considering not divulging the boy's location to him. But Hiruzen had been gifted with an uncanny amount of patience, and so he simply stretched one hand out to regain his pipe while waiting for the animal to make up his mind. After another half a pipe's smoking, Pakuun more closer to the edge of the desk.

"We've kept him as warm as we could, but he still hasn't stopped shivering for more than a minute or two at a time. I think some of the wounds have turned sour. You'll find him at the old Compound. Look for the smoke."

With that said, the pug jumped off the desk and out of the nearest window. The Hokage took another deliberate pull on his pipe before motioning for his nearest ANBU to appear before him. Once the masked shinobi stood before him, Hiruzen placed his pipe back on the desk and folded his hands.

"Go to the far North corner of the Village to where the old Hatake Compound stands. Use care when you search for the smoke that Pakuun mentioned. Those lands are still filled with traps and wards set to react to anyone who doesn't hold the proper chakra signatures. Once you've found the boy, bring him to the Hospital. I'll be waiting there for you."

The ANBU bowed his head in understanding before disappearing from the room. He wouldn't be involved in the treatment of what he hoped to be just a touch of hypothermia, but somehow, after being rebuked by the nin-hound, he was curious about just how bad the boy's wounds really were. And if they were more than he'd thought that they were, there was a certain blond-haired jonin that he'd need to make amends to. As well as a dark-haired Sannin that he'd need to dress down.

He sighed as he pushed himself up from his chair. Some days he wondered why he ever agreed to be Hokage.

* * *

Gai's sensei told him that he had to sit very still while he was being checked over by the medic-nin on duty, but they weren't making it easy. Every time they starting running their fingers across the area that he'd hurt he starting giggling. The first few times the medic-nin had chuckled along with him. But now, more than two hours later, the man performing the exam was frowning at him...as though it was _his_ fault that he kept getting tickled! And to make matters worse, every time Gai started laughing he'd end up crying from the pain in his ribs.

"Maybe if you give him something to, you know, calm him, you might be able to check him over quicker."

Gai gazed up at his sensei to see a look of worry in the man's dark eyes. "Don't worry, Sensei. I can be calmer...really! If I'm not calmer than I'll...I'll...OUCH!"

While he had been trying to come up with the perfect penalty for not being calm the medic-nin pressed hard on his bruised side. He tried to keep the tears from falling down his cheeks, 'cuz Kakashi was always telling him that real shinobi don't cry so much. But he really, _really_ hurt. So maybe Kakashi wouldn't care if he cried this time. He sniffed back another tear and thought that maybe this was why his rival didn't like the Hospital so much.

"All done, Gai. Why don't you get dressed and I'll walk you back to your house, okay?"

His sensei's voice distracted him and he looked down and saw that he'd been wrapped in a thick layer of bandages and tape. Not only that, but he noticed that he could _breathe_ a whole lot better than when he'd been brought here by his sensei after forgetting to duck when an overly large log came sailing his way during a D-ranked mission. Gai looked at the medic-nin with wonder. He grabbed the man's hands and refused to let go when he tried to pull free.

"You are a miracle-worker! How may I ever thank you? You have made my future as a shinobi possible!"

"Let go, kid! All I did was wrap your bruised ribs!"

Gai had intended to explain how very, very wrong the man was, when he heard a familiar voice out in the hall.

"I don't really care what you think. I'm not leaving the Pup's side!"

But there was no way that voice could be here...nope...not at all! This was a _people_ hospital. His dad had told him so. Still, there was no mistaking Pakuun's voice. Especially when he actually _saw_ the little dog trotting down the hall in front of one of those ANBU guys that his dad had told him to steer clear of. But what was the dog doing here? Gai let go of the medic-nin's hands and jumped down from the table to go see what was going on. He was about to head into the hall when his sensei's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Gai, where do you think you're going?"

He looked back at his sensei with a frown. "I need to see why Pakuun is here. They haven't started treating dogs now, have they?"

"Who the heck is Pakuun? And, no Gai, they don't treat dog's here. What's gotten into you? Did the log hit your head too?"

He pushed away from his sensei and tried to get through the door one more time, only to have to jump back into the room to keep from being run over by _another_ ANBU. This one was carrying somebody wrapped up in a bunch of material. He could just spy a tuft of silvery hair poking out of the pile and now he understood why he'd seen Pakuun! That just had to be Kakashi that they were carrying in! He went to make another attempt to follow them but he found himself dangling from the air! Next thing he knew he was sitting on top of the table again and looking up at his sensei in confusion.

"Gai, I know that you want to run after that ANBU but you can't for two very good reasons. Do you know what they are?"

He tried to come up with even _one_ reason why he shouldn't go check on his rival, but he came up blank. "Forgive me, oh illuster..umm..illusti...great Sensei! But why can't I go check on my Eternal Rival? I am sure that he will want to see me while he is here."

His sensei heaved out a huge sigh. He seemed to do that a lot lately before talking to him. "First off, Gai, when the ANBU are involved it is your duty as a Leaf Shinobi to stay out of their way unless directly ordered to do otherwise. Understand?"

Gai scratched at the back of his ear. "So, even though it is my Eternal Rival that they carried in I shouldn't follow them?"

"That's right. Now, do you know what the second reason is that I didn't let you leave this room?"

Gai looked around the room trying to figure out what else would mean that he couldn't leave. But the medic-nin wasn't there anymore, so it couldn't be because he was still hurt. He turned back to face his sensei and lowered his head in defeat.

"I have failed your most difficult test of my skills. I cannot think of any other reason to have to stay in here." He lifted his head until he met his sensei's eyes in the hopes of gaining another kernel of knowledge. "Will you be so kind as to help me find the answer?"

The next thing Gai knew, his sensei tossed a bundle of material at him. "Gai, I can't let you leave until you put your clothes back on!"

He blinked and looked at the mass of green in his hands and his eyes went wide before he quickly went about putting on his most stylish green outfit. He offered up a small smile to his jonin-sensei. "Sorry...I just thought it was a little chilly in here."

* * *

Tsunade looked at the scrawny boy on the bed and thanked Kami that he'd been found when he was. If he'd been brought in even ten minutes later she doubted that she would have been able to stop the reaction that the poor kid was having to whatever the hell it was that was running through his system. Which led her to the crux of the matter. She'd managed to give the kid a general antidote and that had kept him from getting any worse, but if she didn't learn exactly what poison was racing through him soon, there was a very high chance that she'd never be able to reverse the damage that had already been done to his system.

She sighed and turned around to see the Hokage stepping through the door. A step or two behind him was this kid's sensei, with Orochimaru following him. She wasn't quite sure what to make of the mix of shinobi in front of her, but what she did know was that she needed answers...now!

"Which one of you geniuses tried to poison the brat?"

Two out of the three men in front of her seemed shocked at her words. Unfortunately, Orochimaru wasn't one of them. She shook her head at the man's stupidity and crossed the room to stand right in front of the snake. Her arms were crossed and her eyes held a glare that the idiot knew meant she better be told the truth.

"Out with it, Orochimaru. What new poison were you testing out this time? And what the hell made you think it was okay to test it out on one of our own?"

A smirk appeared on the man's line lips. "It wasn't a poison, Tsunade. Just a basic oil meant to sting while the cuts are left untreated."

The Hokage took over the conversation. "Why would you use such a thing on Kakashi?"

She watched Orochimaru turn his head until he was staring at their sensei. "I have found it to be an effective training method. If scratches received during training hurt enough, then the student will be more likely to make sure he blocks against them in the future." He paused to point out an angry red line on his arm. "It's the very same tincture that was on the edge of the blade that little Kakashi managed to hit me with. So, as you can see, it is most definitely not a poison."

Minato's voice held a tone that made it very clear that he was holding in more than a bit of anger. "You're insane!"

It was becoming crystal clear to Tsunade that the three men had been discussing this very subject earlier today. She could actually feel the testosterone rising with each passing second, and she knew that she needed to put an end to it now, or this kid wasn't going to make it.

"What did you use on him, genius? And save me the speech about how it isn't fatal...because obviously it is to the brat on the bed!"

For a change, that actually put a frown on her teammate's face. He wordlessly reached into one of his pockets and produced a small vial filled with a colorless liquid. She turned it in her hand until the label came into view and then narrowed her eyes at the man.

"Are you serious? This is what you used?"

Orochimaru sighed. "Like I said, Tsunade. I had no wish to damage the boy. It was meant to teach him...nothing more."

Sarutobi-sensei stepped to her side with a look of confusion on his face. "So then it isn't poison?"

Tsunade stared at the vial and shook her head. "Not to most people, Sensei. Unfortunately the brat seems to have a rather serious allergy to it. If you'll excuse me, I need to check a few things and find a way to strip it out of his system."

Not waiting for a reply, she moved over to the far side of the room and went about preparing the test scrolls needed. First, she'd need to do a comparison of the liquid in the vial against what she'd managed to pull from the kid's system in her initial exam. She placed a drop of each onto the specific seals and waited for the jutsu to complete. A moment later and she was reviewing the results.

Although very similar in nature, the essence that she had pulled from Kakashi held additional properties that Orochimaru's sample simply did not. Meaning that, either her teammate lied to her about what was used, or the kid had something else already running around in his system that had bonded to the normally harmless liquid in the vial. So she moved on to the next scroll and placed another drop of the samples in their appropriate spots. This time, the jutsu was a bit more involved, pulling at her chakra quite a bit more, but the results confirmed her suspicions. Kakashi Hatake had a preexisting substance in him that caused this rare reaction to the oil that Orochimaru had laced his blades with.

She frowned and looked up from her scrolls. Something still wasn't adding up. The secondary compound in the kid's blood shouldn't have been there at all. It was extremely close in formula to a compound that she'd only ever run across when she had read about it in scrolls regarding concubine missions. And the preferred method of introducing it to a body was nothing that a kid this age would run into. Still, though, something in the back of her mind was telling her not to reject where the findings were pointing.

Tsunade let out a frustrated sigh and moved back to where Kakashi was still shaking far too much for her liking. She lifted his chart off of the foot of the bed and flipped through the pages until she found his summary of past treatments. She ran one well-manicured fingertip down the listing of cuts stitched up and broken bones mended until she found an entry that might just provide her the information she needed. It referenced the kid having a treatment for an 'unspecified agent' after an A-ranked mission.

She turned her attention to the three men who were watching her every move. "Namikaze. It says here that the brat had a mission that left him in need of treatment for something that the medic-nin on hand couldn't identify. They treated him with a general spectrum antidote and had presumed that the substance had been neutralized."

At her words, a strange look appeared on the jonin's face. It looked as though even thinking about that particular mission was painful to him. Still, she needed answers if they wanted her to fix the kid.

"Where was it? How did it happen? How did he react? I need to know what you know, or you may as bury the kid now!"

She watched Minato look toward the Hokage with an unspoken plea in his blue eyes. Once Sarutobi-sensei nodded his approval, the younger man stepped forward and moved to Tsunade's side. Even then, though, he hesitated.

"Listen, Kid. I probably have more clearance than you anyhow, but if that doesn't work for you how about this? Anything said in this room while I'm working on the brat is covered by patient/doctor confidentiality rules."

She wasn't sure he'd buy that line, considering even she was having a hard time with it, but it seemed to be what he needed to hear. The younger man pushed his fingers through his hair before he leaned on the edge of Kakashi's exam table. When he started speaking about the mission where the kid was injured, and the multitude of cuts and bruises that he'd found on the boy, she had to remind herself that she _needed_ to hear the details if there was any chance at fixing this. But when he started detailing the mission that he and his team of kids..._kids, _for Kami's sake...had been assigned to she nearly lost it on him.

"Shitajiki..._really_? Please tell me that you didn't send that _child_ into the hand's of the most notorious molester in the Five Great Countries!"

When Minato failed to answer her, she turned her attention to Sarutobi-sensei. But that man looked nearly as uncomfortable as the jonin. Tsunade shook her head at just how stupid some people could be, and then she turned her attention back toward the pale boy still shivering on the table. She took a deep breath and faced the jonin once more.

"I need to know if you noticed any symptoms during the mission."

When he didn't answer right away she thought that maybe he had completely missed any signs. But soon his shaky voice filled the silence.

"He seemed off when he met up with me in the bookstore. Like he had forgotten who I was at first. Then there was the way he seemed out of breath after what was normally an easy jutsu for him."

"Go on. Surely you saw something more."

Again he pushed his fingers through his hair, and his normally clear blue eyes were clouded over with the memories he was obviously pulling to mind. "He seemed tired. No...that's not it. He was exhausted. He couldn't even lift his tanto into position to block the enemy's attack."

It was Tsunade's turn to run her fingers through her hair. Mental confusion. Respiratory distress. Severe fatigue. Not good. Not good at all. That meant the toxins must have been running through Kakashi's system for nearly six hours before he'd met up with Minato and his team. She had just one last piece of info that she needed before she could get to work on the kid.

"How long before you gave him the first general antidote?"

Now Minato truly looked miserable. "A day and a half."

A ragged laugh came out of her throat before she could stop it. "Stop kidding! How many hours was it?"

The jonin shifted his gaze to the floor. "I wasn't kidding. It was a day and a half before I woke up and we discovered that Kakashi was poisoned."

That, of course, was when Orochimaru just had to chime in. "And you had the nerve to challenge _me_ on sparring with _katana_? Oh, this is just _too_ rich!"

She glared at the snake-bastard and pushed Minato out of the way. No wonder the original medic-nin team hadn't been able to remove it all. Hell, after that long even _she _might have missed some. But now she needed to take into account a hell of a lot more time than just that original day and a half. If the notes on Kakashi's chart were anything to go by, it had been nearly a year since the initial introduction of the toxin.

"Whatever you need, Tsunade, just say the word."

Her sensei's voice startled her out of her thoughts. When she looked up to meet his eyes she actually saw something in the gaze that terrified her. She saw a trace of doubt. But it disappeared so quickly that, in the end, she couldn't be sure it really had been there. So she chose to concentrate on the confident smile that now graced his lips. She nodded once.

"The best thing you can all do for me now is to get the hell out of this room. Me and the brat have a long night ahead of us and I don't need any of you getting in the way."

Tsunade shooed them out of the room and briskly instructed the medic-nin standing nearby to fetch everything she'd need to get started. She was surprised when they all left with no arguments, but before she could dwell on it for too long, alarms in Kakashi's room signaled that his heart-rate had just taken a plunge. She pushed up her sleeves and got ready to get to work saving the kid's life. She could only hope that, when it was all over, he'd pull through it without too many permanent issues.


End file.
